The Knight Before The Dawn
by Crimsonight
Summary: After several conspiracies and betrayals, it was revealed that Barriss Offee was the mastermind behind the Jedi Temple bombing and the events that followed... or was she? This story explores the events leading up to and after the bombing from Barriss Offee's point of view, revealing what drove her down such a dark path, but also her innocence.
1. Chapter 1

The pain was unbearable. It wasn't such a pain that could be healed with bacta or quelled by counseling. The pain was a chronic consequence of emotional restraint. Jedi Padawan Learner Barriss Offee had spent her entire life learning how to control her emotions and focus her mind on only what she wanted to see; what she was supposed to see. It was her duty as a Jedi to take in the galaxy around her and participate in its events as a peacekeeper. However, it was also her duty to serve the Galactic Republic Senate and the Jedi Order. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine her basic duties would ever contradict one another. It was beginning to come clear though that she could not continue down a path of ignorance when she was no longer blind to certain truths.

Every single time the Republic approached a situation in the Clone Wars, negotiation was treated like an annoying formality. So many respectable Jedi Masters would even complain about a lack of action. General Skywalker's tenacity and assertiveness on the battlefield was far from unique. Many Jedi charged into battle like it was what they were meant for. Barriss had a unique perspective that far fewer Jedi were even aware of. She saw the pain. As a Jedi healer, she spent countless hours tending to the thousands upon thousands of clones and civilians who were injured in a war that made less and less sense with every passing day. Jedi were becoming soldiers. Some were even falling to the Dark Side of the Force. All the while, the Jedi Council dictated nothing aside from a 'keep fighting' attitude.

The frustration built up in Barriss like a fire in her heart. It was increasingly aggravating that so many Jedi, even her closest friends, seemed to find happiness on the battlefield. No one was looking for peaceful resolutions anymore. No one seemed to see what was happening to the Jedi besides her. It came to a point that she spent all of her downtime locked in her living quarters. It was a very small room in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. With nothing but a small mirialan totem, a bed and a few personal belongings, it was an empty box of a room, but it was there where she felt solace. There, alone and away from the other Jedi, Barriss could find peace and meditate the fire in her heart away. It was ironic; she could heal numerous injuries and relieve pain for so many, but she struggled to push her own feelings and pain aside.

Nevertheless, all of her frustrations and opposing views were merely nuisances on her mind. She was a Jedi. She always had been and she always would be. There wasn't anything she could do to affect change. Especially in an Order that had been cemented in traditions for over a millennia. However, near the end of the Clone Wars, Barriss Offee was losing the one thing that held all other Jedi in place: trust.

* * *

Back from yet another mission filled with indiscriminant violence, Barriss Offee gazed upon the Jedi Temple as her Delta-7b starfighter flew on autopilot waiting for clearance to land. 'I remember when it was a beacon of hope. Now it is just a military installation. I can hardly think of it as home anymore.' Barriss thought to herself. As her fighter was making its final approach she made the impulse move to turn off autopilot and turn away from the ominous building. She didn't quite understand why, but Barriss simply wasn't ready to go back to the Jedi Temple just yet.

After a few moments of meandering over the endless city of Coruscant the Jedi Padawan Learner decided that she needed some fresh air. Her mission report was already completed and sent. She had the time and chose to return to the Temple on foot. A few kilometers away, Barriss landed her fighter, hopped out, and instructed her astromech to take the starfighter back to the Jedi Temple for diagnostics. With a few whistles and beeps it was away. Barriss stood for a moment in one of the streets as pedestrians stared at the mirialan girl with curiosity. She had rarely even seen nonetheless walked the base-level streets of Coruscant. Perhaps it could have been an educating experience.

The Jedi Temple already looked enormous even from her distance away. Most mountains that she had seen on other planets were dwarfed by comparison. After walking for a few minutes, Barriss was successfully blended with the crowd going to and from. She overheard gossip and small talk. It was fascinating to hear about the daily lives of the people who lived in the galactic capital. You'd think they would be discussing politics or something important, but their concerns were on the simplest of things like have running water in their home or making sure they had enough food for the week. It was serene for Barriss. She felt like she was returning to the values that she had grown up cherishing; protecting the people's way of life.

The attitude of the crowd quickly shifted from mundane concern to wartime subjects of conversation and none too pleasant as she neared the temple. Barriss listened in as civilians talked about how the war was ruining their lives. They were losing friends on other worlds and their businesses were closing down. The arguments came to a head as Barriss reached the front steps of the Jedi Temple. There was a small mob of protestors to the war shouting and waving anti-war signs.

Barriss thought to herself. 'How can the Jedi Council not see this as a clear sign that we are slipping from the Light? The people of the Republic, the people we protect, are at OUR doorstep protesting the war!' She almost wanted to reassure them that there was at least one Jedi who agreed with them, but Jedi Master Cin Drallig was standing guard with several Jedi Temple Guardians right in front of the mob. He wasn't even acknowledging the mob's presence, but he broke from his statuesque state when he saw Barriss approaching. He motioned one of the Guardians to help lead her through the mob. 'This isn't right. This shouldn't be necessary at all.'

Caught up in thought, Barriss wasn't paying much attention to the protestors in the mob. In her lack of observation, one of the protestors reached over and grabbed her lightsaber off of her belt. The Guardian immediately used Force Repulse to push everyone away from him and Barriss. He lit his thick, yellow double blade and commanded that her lightsaber be returned. He stared directly at the thief, a large Abyssin staring directly at Barriss with his singular yellow eye. "You want your lightsaber back, Jedi? Show us your true nature and kill me for it!" The Temple Guardian ordered yet again for the Abyssin to return the lightsaber with the ultimatum that violence would ensue from a lack of compliance.

The Abyssin lit Barriss' lightsaber and continued to stare directly at Barriss. She was confused, terrified, and bewildered by the situation. A citizen of the Republic was ready to die by attacking her with her own weapon!? Barriss was about to try and talk the citizen into calming down and returning her weapon, but her hesitation left an opening for the Guardian. The Temple Guardian advanced quickly on the citizen to outmatch him and take the lightsaber back… with a severed arm if necessary. Barriss thought quickly and reached out her hand to use the Force. Her lightsaber deactivated and flew out of the Abyssin's grip and into hers. She clipped the lightsaber back on her belt and walked up to Jedi Master Cin Drallig. The Temple Guardian stopped just before his first swing towards the Abyssin. He turned and followed Barriss without another word.

The entire mob was silent and completely focused on Barriss as she approached the Jedi Master. When she reached him, he spoke softly with a smile. "Well done, Padawan. Your resolution to the situation almost excuses the fact that you let that citizen obtain your lightsaber in the first place… Almost. You should be more mindful of your surroundings." He then turned to the mob and spoke with a much louder and authoritarian voice. "Attack or threaten another Jedi or any other representative of the Republic and this mob will be disbanded by force with extreme prejudice!"

His threat only inspired their goals and they began protesting again. Barriss looked back at them once more before walking inside the Jedi Temple. That tall, green Abyssin was standing like a statue glaring at Barriss along with a shorter human woman. Barriss didn't like the way they were staring and hastened her pace into the Temple. Rather than feeling agitation or frustration at the protestors, Barriss felt pity. She pitied the people for screaming at deaf ears and she pitied the Jedi for allowing themselves to erode away into a mere shadow of the Order's former self.

Once inside, Barriss Offee made her way directly to one of the Jedi living accommodation halls; though not the one where her living quarters were. This was becoming a bit of a routine for her as she returned from each mission. She casually walked up to a Padawan's room and knocked on the door. It was Ahsoka Tano's room. Ahsoka was one of the very few if not the only person left that she could confide in. As usual, she would knock and as usual, there was no answer. Ahsoka had been on a mission nearly every time Barriss had been back on Coruscant for nearly a year.

With the expected disappointment sinking in, Barriss walked a lot slower back to her own room a few halls down. Jedi Masters such as Ki-Adi-Mundi and Mace Windu passed her in the halls. Barriss maintained her pleasant and respectful demeanor. She grew up learning how to hide the feelings she couldn't suppress. To pretty much any Jedi aside from Yoda she could hide any form of inner turmoil. The only other Jedi who could see through her mask was Ahsoka only because of their friendship. Barriss entered her room, removed her cloak and lightsaber, and sat in the middle of the floor to begin meditating.

The Abyssin's gaze was still fresh in her mind. As she sat cross-legged on the floor in middle of her small room she slowly managed to focus her meditation. First there was nothing outside of her room. Then, her walls and ceiling vanished. Soon there was nothing but Barriss within the depths of her mind. She could hear echoed voices from the ambient void around her. clones screaming in pain as she healed them, the protestors yelling, her Master's words of wisdom and guidance along with thousands of other voices surrounded her. After a long moment of severe concentration, the voices finally fell silent.

Within the deepest and most isolated part of her mind, Barriss could find solitude and peace. She began to float a few feet into the air while she meditated at this level. Here, she worked on burying any troubled feelings that would otherwise cloud her focus. This floating meditation used to be easily achieved for Barriss. It came naturally to her just like being a Jedi Healer. After a few years of war however, it was becoming far more difficult and more time-consuming.

In middle of cleansing her mind, her room's door opened. The immediate presence of her master, Luminara Unduli, broke Barriss' concentration and she fell to the floor with a fairly ungraceful thud. Luminara did her best not to chuckle at the sight. "Still struggling with meditation, Barriss?" Luminara tried to ease any feelings of embarrassment.

"Meditation, sleep, and a few other simple practices… yes. Greetings, Master." Barriss rose from her floor and bowed respectfully to her master. "It's nothing." She tried to make light of her troubles. It was unlike her to reveal any sign of weakness.

"Would focus on the present be in that list as well?" Luminara inquired. Barriss shook her head 'no' with a confused look. "I was just speaking with Master Drallig. He told me about you losing your lightsaber to a citizen. What were you even doing out there?"

"I needed some air. I thought a walk would serve me well before returning here to meditate." Barriss was beginning to tense up in preparation for another lecture, but her Master remained at Barriss' doorway and smiled.

"While I agree that you shouldn't have been taken off guard so easily, I think you handled the situation incredibly well; more than Cin would acknowledge. I'm proud of you." Luminara spoke softly and with care. Barriss was relieved to have her master support her actions. There wasn't a lesson or a lecture.

"Thank you, Master." Barriss smiled warily. After a moment of silence between them, Barriss couldn't help but ask why Luminara was there. Ever since the war started there was very little time for any training or time together that wasn't spent on the battlefield. "Is there something I can assist you with, Master?"

Luminara's smile vanished. "I'm afraid your meditation must end now. You won't be spending your time tomorrow here for a meditative retreat as scheduled. We have been summoned to the Jedi Council Chamber."

Barriss was very disappointed in not finally getting a day off, but she wouldn't let that be seen by her master. She bowed again in acknowledgement before gathering her cloak and lightsaber. The two mirialan Jedi walked briskly down the halls of the Jedi Temple in silence. While some masters and apprentices had a more casual friendship, Luminara made sure to keep her relationship with Barriss strictly by the book. She felt that by maintaining protocols and structure Barriss would be less likely to make reckless decisions or act out in any rebellious form.

Barriss was being swallowed by the silence between her and her master. She was old enough and skilled enough to be a Jedi Knight. There was hardly anything left for Luminara to teach her. Without any active lessons to be learned, there was barely a word spoken between them in times like this. When they entered the Council Chamber there were only a few Council members present. Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Kit Fisto were sitting in their respective seats.

Barriss and Luminara walked to the middle of the circular room and bowed respectfully. As usual, Mace spoke first. "Padawan Offee, your recent healing mission on Sullust was a strong testament to your abilities and perseverance. It was very impressive just how many lives you saved in the time you were there." Barriss bowed slightly as a silent 'thank you' and patiently waited to see why she was summoned.

Kit Fisto smiled and spoke next. "Your skills both as a Jedi Healer and a Commander are impressive and reflect those of a Jedi Knight."

Luminara smiled and responded. "My Padawan is ready for the trials. However, considering how much she has faced and overcame in the Clone Wars, the Jedi trials almost seem trivial." Barriss' heart began to race as her master gave such a glowing review.

Mace Windu remained stoic and indifferent. "While we agree that Knighthood is at hand, that is not why we have summoned you here now. Barriss, we need you to return to Sullust."

Barriss nearly expressed her frustrations, but managed to bottle it all in and respectfully inquired. "Why must I return? Has there been an accident?"

"No." Ki-Adi-Mundi answered. "The harsh environment continues to take its toll. The battle is drawing out far longer than we had anticipated. Had we received the reports earlier, we would have extended your tour there rather than have you returned here. I'm sorry, child, but you must turn around and head straight back until this battle is over."

Nearly losing her patience, she bit her lip and eyed the Council members warily. "Hasn't any of the Republic battle strategists figured out a safer way to fight on Sullust? Some of the clones are being sent to the medical outpost before the old wounds had even had a chance to heal."

"We cannot devote the resources." Mace answered. "There are more vital battles to be won elsewhere. We need Jedi Healers to assist the medical officers on Sullust. If we can combat the environment effectively enough the clones can focus on the droids and finish this battle."

"Perhaps my abilities in battle would better serve to end the bloodshed on Sullust." Barriss was revolted at the idea of going back at all, but she'd rather take out her frustration on the droid army than spend 36 hour healing sprints amidst the harsh conditions.

"You will go to Sullust and aid the medical officers. You should be grateful to be an active part of this war in a capacity that doesn't involve violence. That should be enough for you." Mace waved them on motioning that they may leave. "Your orders are waiting in your starfighter. May the Force be with you."

Barriss almost retorted Mace Windu's remarks, but her master cut her off by speaking first. "May the Force be with you, Masters." Luminara turned and led Barriss out swiftly.

As soon as the Council Chamber doors closed behind them, Barriss began to vent. "They dangle the carrot of knighthood in front of me and then send me back to Hell!"

"Barriss! I've trained you better. You should be patient and welcome knighthood when the time is right and not before." Luminara's voice was soft but stern.

"Forgive me, Master." Barriss returned to her respectful demeanor. She wished that just once she could speak with Luminara as a friend to a friend rather than an apprentice to a master. "I have been increasingly frustrated with the Council lately. The longer this war goes on the more they lose focus on the Jedi Code."

"War brings out the best and the worst in people. With the Jedi leading the war the Council has been under a lot of strain." Luminara put her hand on Barriss' shoulder as they walked. "Be patient with them. You will be a Jedi Knight, and a far better one than I was."

"Master, I don't resent my mission. I am truly grateful to be serving as a healer rather than a warrior. It's just…" Barriss fell silent for a moment searching for the right words. "Well, sometimes I don't think the Council remembers that lives are being lost needlessly."

"Needlessly?" Luminara was a bit surprised by the statement.

"Those clones on Sullust don't have to be suffering and dying as they are. There is more than one way to fight a war. It almost seems callus of them to send me back. I heal the clones so that they can go right back out into the environment that sent them to me in the first place. The clones know that they will return to the battlefield, but by sending me there the Council is robbing the clones of a chance to rest and recover emotionally. The Council is using my healing abilities to throw the clones back into the fire sooner after the traumas. It's like torture." Barriss bit her lip in frustration.

"Be mindful of your thoughts, my young Padawan. To disagree with the Council is one thing, but don't turn them into villains in your mind. You've taken an oath to serve and they trust you to do your duty as you should trust their judgment." Again, Barriss was silenced from speaking her mind to her master. Her feelings hadn't changed. She once again bottled up what she was feeling. Barriss had no idea how close she was to all of those bottled up emotions erupting back to the surface…


	2. Chapter 2

"Hold him down!" Barriss shouted over the screams of a dying clone. A sulfuric geyser erupted right behind him. The flash of heat melted his helmet onto his head. Even though the clones wore flamethrower gear there was nothing to protect them from yellow magma bursts, lava flumes, and geysers that rained down a numerous amount of corrosive chemicals. Sullust would be a dead planet had it not once been a lush, vibrant world.

When the Sullustans mined too close to the planet core a chain reaction occurred that covered the entire planet in ash and bright yellow lava. The Sullustans endured the calamity by living underground and continued to mine. The Separatists wanted the resources of those mines and knew exactly how to give every droid the advantage in battle. They seized control and quickly set up defenses on every surface to sub-level entry point. If the Republic was going to liberate the Sullustans, they would have to do so on foot and on the surface. The droids withstood the surface like any other world. It was a clone's worst nightmare.

"I said hold him down!" Barriss shouted again. There wasn't much to be done but trust in the Force. The plastic of his helmet had melted into his face and scalp. The only way to separate him from the plastic was to remove most of the skin and muscle tissue on his head. He would suffer tremendously and may not survive the procedure… unless Barriss Offee could help him. "Don't we have anything to sedate him?"

"We haven't received any aid from the fleet since last time you were here, Commander." Chief Medical Field Officer 'Stitch' answered as he came over to hold down the flailing and screaming clone. He looked right into her sapphire blue eyes as he held the clone down. "We have been pleading for aid. They sent us you."

"Just me? What were they thinking?" Barriss tried to dedicate a little bit of concentration to the conversation, but most of herself was focused on Force Healing the clone. A light blue aura was emanating from her hands as wisps of blue light encircled the clone's head.

"Command said that sending you was all that they could do, but to be honest, I'd rather have you hear than any amount of supplies." Stitch tried to be calm and nurturing as he spoke. Barriss had been healing non-stop for nearly 40 hours and there were still too many clones to count in need of medical attention. "It is because of you here that Scratch has a chance. Without you, he'd lose his head… almost literally." Barriss cracked a smile, but kept most of her focus on the wounded clone. A few more struggled moments and she was done. She used the Force to remove the bits of helmet to reveal a tender, but recognizable face. "You did it! Miraculous. It is because of the Jedi that we will win this war. Your benevolence never ceases to inspire."

"Oh, if only all Jedi were benevolent…" Barriss trailed off not realizing that she was thinking out loud.

"Commander?" Stitch looked at her confused.

"Never mind. Please bring in the next soldier." If Stitch didn't know, then she wasn't about to tell him how Jedi General Krell turned clones against one another in an ignorant slaughter for his own gain. Nor would she mention the fact most had shoved under the rug that Count Dooku himself was once a Jedi.

Stitch returned with another clone who had been shot in the leg twice. He looked at an exhausted Barriss as he laid the injured clone on the medical table. "How long will you be assisting us this time, Commander?"

"Until the battle for this system has ended one way or the other." She said without looking at him. She appreciated his respect, but she wanted nothing more than to jump in her starfighter and leave the wasteland.

* * *

Five Weeks Later, the battle for Sullust was not over, but the clones had managed to push the droids back to the subterranean pockets of Sullustan civilization. Finally safe from the unforgiving surface, the clone medics could take over and Barriss could finally leave. With the masses of clones all needing urgent care, sleep wasn't an option the entire time. If she rested, clones would die. As she flew up to her hyperspace ring in orbit she finally took a moment to Force heal her arm. She had been regularly getting stimulus injections to keep working without sleep. She barely received one full night's rest accumulatively throughout her time there.

As soon as Barriss Offee engaged her hyperspace ring and put her blue delta-7b starfighter on autopilot she leaned back and immediately fell asleep. There wasn't any distance of hyperspace travel long enough for her to fully recharge, but she'd take any chance to close her eyes at that point. Unfortunately for Barriss, sleep wasn't exactly the most relaxing of practices lately. Nightmares were becoming far more frequent as she struggled to maintain her discipline in the Clone Wars. No one can walk away from seeing so much death and pain without at least a mental mark to show for it.

Her astromech piloted her starfighter out of hyperspace and back to the Jedi Temple hangar on Coruscant. The blue fighter made its approach and landed right beside Luminara Unduli who was waiting for her apprentice alongside Kit Fisto. Barriss' starfighter finished its landing sequence and the cockpit opened to reveal a still sleeping Barriss. Luminara gazed at her Padawan's face. Barriss' brow was furled and she was turning back and forth a bit. Luminara turned to Kit. "I knew this mission was going to be too much for her. She needs time to recover. The Council cannot send her back out again so soon."

"We all knew that this mission was going to take a heavy toll on Barriss, but unfortunately we cannot always be convenient in our timing when we are at war." Kit put a hand on Luminara's shoulder. Luminara just kept staring at her suffering Padawan not sure to wake her or let her be. "I will speak with the Council on Barriss' behalf. I will see what can be done about your assignment with her to Cato Neimoidia."

"Thank you, Master Fisto. Your compassion knows no limits, does it?" Luminara smiled gently at the tall, green nautolan.

Kit Fisto reached into Barriss' starfighter and lifted the sleeping mirialan girl into his arms. "Not that I know of." He said with a smile. "I'll take her back to her living quarters." Without another word he carried her all the way across the Jedi Temple. Luminara silently accompanied him the entire way. Normally it would raise a few eyebrows to see a Jedi Master carrying a sleeping Padawan through the halls, but Kit's selfless and caring nature was all anyone needed to understand. Once they had approached the Padawan dormitory halls, Luminara directed him to Barriss' room.

Luminara turned to Kit once he had laid Barriss down in her bed. "I'll take care of removing her cloak and boots. Thank you so much for assisting her. You didn't have to."

"My work is not yet done, Master Unduli. I must go speak with the Council." Kit turned to walk away. He heard Luminara clear her throat to say something else. He looked back and responded without needing to hear the question. "Just making the galaxy a better place one kind act at a time. May the Force be with you."

Luminara watched for a moment as the Jedi Master briskly walked away down the hall smiling and greeting every individual, Jedi or not, that passed by. Once he had turned the corner she went back into Barriss' room and shut the door. While being a Jedi meant giving up most of your cultural background, Luminara practiced mirialan modesty and trained Barriss to do the same. She gently removed Barriss' boots and cloak without waking her Padawan. After placing Barriss' lightsaber at the feet of the mirialan totem and removing Barriss' head sock, she stared at the sleeping mirialan girl for a moment.

Barriss continued to toss and turn. Luminara knelt beside her Padawan and ran her fingers through Barriss' dark, lavender hair. She concentrated for a moment on the Force and brought ease to Barriss' mind. Barriss stopped furling her brow and tossing and turning. She was finally sleeping soundly, but whispered one word in response to the sudden comfort. "Ahsoka..." Luminara knew that the two Padawans were friends, but saying Ahsoka Tano's name in her sleep was unusual and cause for suspicion. That conversation would have to wait for another time however. Gracefully, Luminara rose and left her Padawan to sleep without a sound.

Heading up to one of the many focus chambers for meditation, Luminara caught sight of Kit Fisto once again. His usual grin was stretched across his face as he approached her. "Master Luminara, I have good news! You and your Padawan will be given a week-long meditative retreat in the Temple. The Council has decided that your Padawan does need some time to recover from her last mission and wants you to oversee her recovery."

Luminara revealed her excitement as her eyes lit up and a smile stretched across her face, but she quickly went back to a more neutral expression as was her way. "Thank you, Master Fisto. I cannot convey my gratitude enough for my Padawan or myself. I must ask though, what about the Republic siege of Cato Neimoidia?"

"There was no discussion necessary to find capable Jedi to replace you." Kit spoke while still grinning. "Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan were still in the Council Chamber for a mission debriefing when I arrived. When I spoke of Barriss' situation Padawan Tano immediately volunteered to take her place."

"Really?" Luminara wasn't surprised but wanted to be. "Their friendship must be very strong indeed."

"When I elaborated on your Padawan's state of mind, Master Yoda recommended Skywalker to take your place in the mission so that you may remain here and look after your Padawan. The agreement was unanimous." Kit bowed respectively. "I hope your Padawan's recovery is a smooth one. I must now attend to other matters. May the Force be with you, Luminara."

"And with you, Master Fisto. Thank you." Kit turned and left Luminara to her meditation. She was confident that Barriss only needed a day or two to rest. Perhaps she could also address Barriss' attachment to Ahsoka during this week...

* * *

When she awoke, Barriss Offee looked curiously to her window to get an idea of what time of day it was. A soft, faintly saturated purple light flowed gracefully between the blinds of the window and into her room. It was nighttime. The soft purple light was the ambient light from all of the neon signs and holo-images that maintained Coruscant through each night like an artificial day. Barriss didn't want to ruin her normal sleep cycle and tried to fall back asleep until morning, but it was no use. Her mind was already stampeding with thoughts from the philosophies of war to the aching hunger in her stomach.

On closer look to her personal datapad, it was closer to morning than evening anyways, so she got up to walk off some of the lingering stress on her mind. It wasn't until she began dressing that she realized that she had no memory of ever arriving at the Temple. A few different explanations ran through her mind, but she'd be too embarrassed to ever inquire about it. No harm was done so she dismissed the method in which she went from her starfighter to her room.

The halls of the Jedi Temple were unusually quiet. It was almost like time travel for Barriss. She used to roam the halls around that early morning time to enjoy the solitude of the sleeping temple. After a few long hallways, she found herself on the East end of the temple. The towering hallway had massive windows along the exterior wall with deep circular alcoves at the bottoms. It was in one of these alcoves that Barriss stopped to rest. She sat in the window alcove for a while watching the last stars of night give way to the soft blue ambience of the coming day.

She almost fell back asleep relaxing in the window until she heard some rushed footsteps getting louder. Most meetings and activities wouldn't start for another hour. Barriss leaned out of the window alcove into the hallway to see who the early riser was. To her surprise, it was the Abyssan from the war protest outside the Jedi Temple. He was storming angrily towards the hangar with a device in his hand. She didn't need to be a Jedi to sense trouble with him. Barriss swiftly walked over to the middle of the hallway to stand right in his path. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

The Abyssin didn't answer. He kept walking and pushed Barriss aside. She called after him again but he acted as if he didn't even hear her. Finally to get his attention, she used the Force to stop him in his tracks and turn him around to face her. "It is rude not to answer someone when they are speaking to you."

He scoffed at her remark as he struggled to lose her Force grip. "It is rude to enable the suffering of billions across the galaxy, but you Jedi don't seem to have a problem with that." The green-skinned, one-eyed alien stood over a half a meter taller than Barriss, but she wasn't intimidated at all by his size or his deep and graveled voice. She saw an anti-war lecture coming and definitely didn't have the patience for it.

"You will answer me. What are you doing here? How did you get past the guards outside?" She kept her voice calm in an effort not to add to the tenseness of the situation.

"Use your 'legendary powers of observation' and make a deduction, Jedi." The Abyssin motioned to his clothes. He was wearing a Jedi Temple technician's uniform.

"How did you acquire these clothes?" She asked feeling a little threatened at his infiltration.

"The hardest way possible; I work here! Now let me go!" The Abyssin was infuriated by the interrogation.

"Not yet!" Barriss' patience was at about the same as his, but she wasn't about to back down. "What is that in your hand and what are you doing here so early?"

The Abyssin sighed obnoxiously in surrender to the situation. "This is a Tibanna Regulator for an LAAT Gunship particle emitter. It needed repaired and I didn't have time yesterday. I took it home to fix it and I am here early to install it before the ship goes through final inspection in one hour. Now if you would please let me go, I'm racing the clock here!"

Barriss was a Jedi. She could tell if he was lying or telling the truth. In this case, she felt incredibly embarrassed for jumping to conclusions. She released him quickly but carefully. The Abyssin turned and stormed off immediately. She shouted an apology. He just waved his hand in the air like her apology was nothing but white noise to him. As he rounded the corner out of sight, Barriss shrunk back down into her window alcove. 'A dedicated Jedi Temple worker who spends his downtime protesting the war? Interesting to say the least…'

She felt terrible after judging the Abyssin so harshly. Her feelings of remorse only compounded on the other issues plaguing her mind. The thoughts of intrigue and embarrassment were quickly pushed aside as Barriss' stomach started to growl so loud that it nearly had an echo in the great halls. She hadn't eaten for several hours. Wishing to escape the hall anyways, Barriss made her way to the mess hall. The day was only beginning.


	3. Chapter 3

A few Jedi Temple personnel were beginning to fill the halls along with Jedi of every rank. The Temple was waking up. It was almost as if there was no war. Of course, the presence of clone troopers and Republic military officers pushed away any sort of delusion of peace. Barriss was hoping to remain reclusive for the day to get her thoughts in order. She grabbed a quick meal in the Jedi Temple mess hall before heading back to the Padawan Dormitory section of the Temple. She felt out of sorts and unbalanced. Hoping against hope, she headed for Ahsoka Tano's room in search of a friend.

Barriss approached the door and casually rang the doorbell almost expecting no answer. She was becoming numb to the disappointment of Ahsoka always being off world. Much to her surprise, the door opened. Barriss' eyes lit up with a spark of life that she hadn't felt in months. A smile quickly stretched from ear to ear as she entered. Her smile vanished just as quickly as it appeared when she saw that the Jedi in the room was her master, Luminara Unduli, and not her friend, Ahsoka Tano. "Master, what are you doing here?" Barriss was too surprised to remember her usual formalities that Luminara disciplined her to use.

"I could ask you the same thing, my young Padawan." Luminara stood statuesque facing away from the door looking out the single window in the small room. She did not turn to face her apprentice.

"I was hoping to visit with Ahsoka Tano. This is her room." Barriss felt an agitation stirring in her stomach. She didn't despise her master, but Ahsoka's room was one of the few places where Barriss could be herself and speak free of opinionated ears. When she was in Ahsoka's room, she was just a girl spending time with her best friend. It wasn't a place she ever wanted to feel the pressures of being Luminara's apprentice.

"She isn't in the Temple, Barriss. Padawan Tano isn't even on Coruscant. She is on her way to Cato Niemodia with her Master." Luminara continued to face out the window as she spoke indifferently.

"If she is off world, then why are you in her room?" Barriss wanted answers. She had no idea how far she was slipping down a slippery slope in her master's mind.

"Because I knew you would come here." Luminara paused for a moment to let her words sink in. "Are you going to ask me how I knew that?" The slight sarcasm was like a dagger in Barriss' chest. She didn't respond as she braced herself for what would be an incredibly difficult lecture to endure. Luminara turned finally to face her Padawan. Sunlight streaming in between the window's blinds kept Luminara in silhouette, but her deep blue eyes managed to escape the otherwise darkened appearance of her form.

After the remarkably long stare-off, Barriss finally spoke. "Ahsoka is my friend. I often check to see if she is here. A friend's company, if only for a few minutes, can wash away months of stress." She tried to play it off as nothing important, but her master didn't buy it.

"Friendship can help ease the burdens of war, yes. However, friends don't spend every moment of their free time hoping to be together. You have an attachment, Barriss. It needs to stop." Standing in Ahsoka's room and saying such antagonizing words… Luminara never appeared so villainous to Barriss than in that moment.

"I do not have an attach-" Barriss was ready to argue this to the death, but Luminara wouldn't let her even mount a defense.

"- You said her name in your sleep." Luminara interrupted. Unlike her Padawan, she remained calm and emotionally removed from the situation. "When your starfighter landed in the Temple hangar you were asleep, but clearly struggling with restless dreams. After Master Fisto carried you to your room, I tucked you in and used the Force to calm your mind and granted you the rest you now feel such restoration from. In that moment, you said Ahsoka's name. Why would you associate your desired peace with another Padawan?"

Barriss was silent. She looked sternly into the eyes of her master as she struggled to hold her ground. This fight shouldn't have taken place there. Barriss wanted desperately to take their argument elsewhere. She didn't want this memory to taint so many good memories Ahsoka's room held. In a desperate attempt to again make little of this big issue and to remove Luminara from Ahsoka's room, Barriss tried talking her way out. "I wasn't aware that I said anything in my sleep. Clearly, I needed to meditate and reflect more than I thought. I will meditate on my friendship with Padawan Tano. If there is an attachment, I will sever it."

Luminara stepped forward close enough that Barriss could almost feel her master's breath as she spoke. "Don't attempt to deceive me. I've trained you better. I have reviewed the security recordings for this hall. You have systematically checked this room every single day that you've been at the Jedi Temple for nearly the past year." Barriss took a breath to explain her behavior somehow, but Luminara didn't give her room to. "It is also apparent to me that this attachment is not one-sided. You and I were assigned to the siege on Cato Niemodia. As you slept, Master Fisto spoke to the Council of how you needed to recover and weren't ready for another mission so soon. Ahsoka and Skywalker were in the Council Chamber. Your 'friend,' Ahsoka, eagerly volunteered to take your place."

"Ahsoka was here?" Barriss slipped up for a very brief moment, but long enough to fuel Luminara's fire.

"She was finishing her latest mission debriefing with the Council. She and Skywalker hadn't even washed the dirt off of their clothes yet and she eagerly stepped in to take your place so that you could rest. No one asked her. It wasn't her place to speak unless she was addressed directly on the matter, but she insisted." Luminara explained Ahsoka's behavior while studying Barriss' face very carefully. Barriss tried to remain indifferent, but Luminara could see how Barriss felt about Ahsoka in that moment. Barriss was so touched by Ahsoka's selflessness and she knows that she would have done the same had the roles been reversed.

"I… I'm grateful for Ahsoka's selflessness. She-" Barriss stumbled for words.

"-She shares an attachment with you. Barriss, you will be knighted soon. If anyone other than me learned of this, you would be reviewed and most likely suspended from advancement. Clearly, I haven't taught you well enough how to remove yourself from such feelings." Luminara was compassionate. She saw Barriss' attachment as a failure on her part, but Barriss only saw her cold and calculating master. Perhaps Luminara had been too concerned with appearing strong in the past.

"You never taught me to remove my feelings at all, Master." Barriss was done running from the situation. If she was due to be knighted, then it was about time for Luminara to see her as an equal. She stared at her master with a stern face that expressed her resolute determination. "You taught me how to bury my feelings deep down where they wouldn't affect me in the present moment. I buried them, Master. Deep down in my heart, so many feelings have been bottled up over the years. You may be able to dissolve yours, but as a healer I have empathy for everyone and everything around me. To shut myself off from feeling anything would be to deny me my own identity. So, my feelings remained buried… and they festered. They've grown and contorted me to the point that I cannot sleep unless I reach exhaustion first."

Luminara took a breath to speak, but Barriss wasn't finished. "Ahsoka listens to me. She shares my frustrations and helps me relieve myself of them. Not only does she help me cope with this ridiculous war, but I help her too. When Ahsoka returned from being captured by trandoshans she kept a strong face, much like yours, but inside she was emotionally shattered. Ahsoka came to me to talk and I helped her overcome her guilt over Kalifa's death. We keep each other in the light."

"That there is the danger, Barriss." Luminara began to show more emotion in an attempt to reach Barriss. Her eyes glistened with worry. "If you keep each other in the light, what happens if one of you is killed in this war? What happens if you go too long without seeing each other? You need to be self-reliant, Barriss. You need to keep yourself in the light; you and nothing else but the Force. This attachment will lead you to the Dark side. It has already started." She brought her hand up and placed it on Barriss' shoulder.

Barriss stepped backward into the Temple hall to remove her master's comforting hand. She looked at Luminara indifferently. "You praise me as one of your best students, master. You say I'm ready to be knighted and even worthy of skipping the trials. Yet, you say that I am slipping to the Dark side of the Force; the ultimate failure for a Padawan Learner. Which is it, Master?"

Luminara stepped out into the hall to join Barriss. This conversation was supposed to be private. She no longer had the emotional leverage of Ahsoka's room to throw Barriss off balance. "I'm expressing my concern for you, Barriss. Ahsoka can be your friend, but you need to make sure that you emotionally distance yourself. Nothing has happened yet to stand in your way of becoming a Jedi Knight. I'm very proud of you and you are my best student."

"However?" Barriss could almost predict her master's next words verbatim.

"However, you need to sever this attachment with Ahsoka Tano and she needs to distance herself from you as well. Some Jedi naturally connect to each other. The true Jedi recognize this and take the necessary steps to ensure that the connection is not nourished." Luminara paused as she saw Barriss' face slowly contort to show signs of inner pain. "You cannot come back to this room, Barriss. You need to distance yourself entirely from Padawan Tano until such a time where you are able to socialize with her without forming any sort of attachment. Perhaps in a few years you two can socialize again."

Barriss Offee's face stared blankly at Luminara almost completely void of emotion. She stood in the hall almost as still as a statue. Tears began trickling down her cheeks, but her face remained emotionless. With those tears, Luminara finally realized the level of hurt the lecture had inflicted on Barriss. Slowly, Barriss took a breath in to speak. "Thank you for your council and sharing your wisdom with me, Master. If you'll excuse me, I must go meditate now and begin recovering from my mission to Sullust. There is much for me to reflect on and overcome. May the Force be with you, my master."

Luminara was speechless. She had broken her Padawan to such a point that she was completely absent from the present moment aside from the formalities of being Luminara's apprentice. Barriss bowed respectfully and began walking slowly towards the nearest lift. Luminara stood there watching her Padawan walk away. She honestly wasn't sure if she had just given Barriss a chance to become an even greater Jedi, or taken the only chance Barriss had away from her.

* * *

Later in the evening, Barriss was sitting on the front steps of the Jedi Temple. The last rays of sunlight were glistening off of the thousands of speeders and ships flying through the city. Temple workers were coming and going without paying her any attention. The war protestors had called it quits for the day and the Temple steps were as good of a place as any to meditate, but Barriss wasn't meditating. She was waiting.

After most of the other dayshift workers had already left the temple, a familiar, tall grumpy abyssin exited the Jedi Temple and approached the steps. Jackar Bowmani recognized Barriss as the Jedi who gave him a rough time on his way to work that morning and considered taking a different route to leave the Temple. Barriss already sensed him though. "You had a very long shift today." She said as she stood to face him.

"Jedi are leading a war. Everyone at the Temple is working overtime; most of us without pay." He cautiously approached the mirialan Jedi.

"Why do you work here if you protest the war to the point that you're willing to die for your beliefs?" Barriss had an unusual confidence in her voice and posture that took Jackar by surprise.

He rubbed his single yellow eye as he tried to give a short explanation. "I started working for the Jedi back when they were peacekeepers. The Jedi were the guardians of the galaxy with no job too big or too small. I still have hope that the Jedi can return to the Light side of the Force, but you all seem to be deaf now to anything anyone says unless it is war related."

"So, you think the Jedi are no longer fighting within the Light side of the Force?" Barriss almost sounded as if she was testing the tired and stressed abyssin.

"You all are an army now and you fight for the Dark side. Keepers of the Light side don't fight. They seek peace and only fight in defense. Jedi shouldn't be generals and commanders. You should be trying to stop this war, not win it for one side or the other." Jackar was expecting for Barriss to argue him, but she remained quiet for a little while to take in everything he had to say. He was immensely surprised at her presented open-mindedness.

"And you think that taking my lightsaber and threatening me was a good way to get your point of view across?" Barriss responded simply.

"I'm out of ideas and out of time. I don't know what else to do to get through to the Jedi." Jackar Bowmani was continually surprised by this young Jedi's demeanor. She was actually hearing him out and seriously taking in what he had to say.

"I have an idea." Barriss approached him slowly. "Do you know a place where we can talk?"

"This is a trick." Jackar started stepping backward.

"An opportunity, but we cannot discuss it here." Jackar continued to look apprehensive to the mirialan girl's odd behavior. Barriss presented a light smile and unclipped her lightsaber from her belt. She handed it out to him. "A sign of trust. Take it."

"You're serious, aren't you?" Jackar seemed to finally grasp Barriss' intentions. She simply continued smiling and holding out her lightsaber. He pushed her hand back towards her. "I know a place. Follow me." Without another word, the two began walking towards Jackar's speeder.

* * *

Down in the underworld of Coruscant, Barriss Offee and Jackar Bowmani arrived at an abandoned warehouse. Under the urban surface of the planet, the underworld was shrouded in an unending darkness. The only light came from the various neon signs and safety lights of vehicles. It was a massive labyrinth; a city beneath a city. The warehouse was bathed in a faint ominous orange glow from nearby refineries' fires.

As Barriss followed Jackar inside the warehouse he began telling her about it. She was obviously not familiar with the Coruscant underworld. "This warehouse was abandoned shortly after the war started. It used to be a good place to find work. Now the only people who come here are people seeking not to be found." As he finished explaining they approached a human woman who was waiting for them inside. "This is Letta Turmond, my wife. Letta, this is Jedi Padawan Learner Barriss Offee."

Barriss held out a hand to greet Letta, but Letta looked skeptical if not bothered by Barriss' presence. She turned to her husband with an agitated look. "Why is she here?"

"Barriss wishes to learn more about our cause. She seeks to make a statement against the Jedi Order's involvement in this war." Jackar seemed pleased at his new ally but also very serious. "This is the final piece of the puzzle we need, Letta."

Letta stared at Barriss for a moment who remained silent and respectful. "I don't trust her. This is another Jedi trick."

"What do I need to do to prove myself?" Barriss asked politely.

"There's nothing you can do." Letta scoffed.

Jackar took a step forward. "I'm vouching for her. How is that not enough?" His deep gravelly voiced held a great weight as he spoke.

After a staring contest between the married couple, Letta conceded. "Fine. How exactly do you wish to help us?"

Barriss wanted to keep her speech short and to the point. "The Jedi are wise and fair. They would recognize their own order twisting and contorting into something less than what they claim it to be. However, the corrosion of the Jedi Order has not happened since the outbreak of the Clone Wars. I believe it has been slowly happening over the course of several decades if not more one little compromise at a time."

Letta retorted the speech. "Yet you, a Padawan Learner, sees this big picture that the wisest of the Jedi in your precious Council haven't? I don't think so."

"Others have seen it and they were either exiled or left the Order by other means. The Council is blind to it because they are a part of it." Barriss tried her best to stay calm and polite, but just saying such things about the Jedi out loud was beginning to stir up strong emotions. "I see it because I am a Padawan Learner. I have been introduced to the Jedi Order as it is with no experiences from what it was like before my time. Only now at the precipice is the difference clear enough to see between what the Jedi Order is and what it once was."

"And yet, you see it alone. I'm not buying it." Letta was determined to get rid of Barriss. They just seemed to naturally oppose each other.

Barriss took a deep breath. "Many Jedi see it, but attribute the differences to war. It has been so long since any galactic war that no living Jedi was prepared for what the Order would face."

Jackar spoke up next. "You are certain that the Jedi Council cannot be reasoned with, correct?"

"If you place a frog in a cup of boiling water, it will jump out. If you place a frog in regular water and then heat it up gradually, it will simply sit in the water and boil to death." Barriss studied their faces. They seemed to finally grasp her perspective. "The Jedi Council Members have been sitting in hot water for some time, but it took many years to get that way. As a new Jedi, I have recognized the hot water and I am not alone. Although, I believe I am the only Jedi who is considering taking action. Most Jedi who see the signs I have simply leave the Jedi Order; abandoning a sinking ship as it were. Others switch sides completely like Count Dooku and Pong Krell. I don't want to run and I don't want to destroy the Order. I want it to return to the Light. I seriously don't think it is too late."

Jackar and Letta looked at each other in a silent conversation for a few minutes. Barriss was uneasy with what she said, but she believed every word. After a painfully long silence, Letta turned to Barriss and spoke. "Alright, I'm convinced. We'll tell you our plan."


	4. Chapter 4

Over the course of an hour and a half and several drinks, Jackar Bowmani and Letta Turmond explained their situation. Jackar was dying. He had a genetic disease specific to abyssins with no known cure. Barriss struggled to accept that there was no medical avenue to take. She even tried using the Force to heal him, but his Abyssin anatomy was too complex and too badly damaged internally to save him. He only had a matter of days, but he managed to maintain a strong face. It is because of this illness that he was so willing to die when Barriss first met him. Jackar wanted to die for his cause. He wanted his death to have more meaning than his own timer being up.

So, Letta and Jackar devised a plot where Jackar would commit suicide by bombing the Jedi Temple. He would go straight to the Jedi Council Chamber while the Council was in session and blow up his bomb before anyone could stop him. Barriss listened to their entire plan, and then finally stopped biting her tongue. "This plan is tremendously flawed and it won't have the impact you want."

"Why not?" Letta retorted. "You really think any Jedi could sense something before it was too late? Ever since the war began you've all been blinder than nocturnal gundarks."

"It won't work." Barriss elaborated. "I'm sorry to be blunt, but killing the Jedi Council would only cripple the Order without changing it. Even if I was discovered as an accomplice I would be written off as another Jedi who lost her way. This would do nothing but end lives needlessly. You can do so much more with your final act, Jackar, and without harming a single life."

"I take it you have something in mind?" Jackar asked.

"Yes." Barriss answered. "You work primarily in the Temple's hangar. You are very familiar with it and you sometimes go there before anyone else is present in the morning, right?"

"Yes. I'd rather get my extra work done before my shift so that I can be home in time for dinner with Letta." Jackar responded not sure what Barriss was getting at.

"The Jedi Temple hangar is the hub of military action in the Jedi Temple. The War Room is where all of the strategy is practiced, but the hangar is where everything is put into action. If you bombed the hangar, it would slam the Jedi's military actions to a halt. You could go in early as you have been and destroy the hangar before anyone else is present." Barriss felt a rush in her heart as she began to see her plan really having a chance to change the Order for the better.

"Okay, that would be good…" Letta interjected her proverbial two cents. "However, the hangar would be repaired in only a few days and everything would go back to normal as if the bomb had never gone off."

"Not if a Jedi is the suspected bomber." Barriss smiled as she revealed the true impact of the plan. "If the Jedi Order didn't know and couldn't figure out who was responsible for the bombing, they would have to entertain the possibility that the bomber could have been a Jedi. They would of course desperately try to figure out who was guilty, but there would be the entire time of the investigation and much more time if they never solved it where everyone knowing about the attack would think a Jedi had done this. Each Jedi would suspect each other to a degree. That, coupled with the Jedi seeing just how easily the public could see a Jedi being responsible, would give everyone within the Order a chance to see just how far from the Light side of the Force the Order has become. With nearly every Jedi made aware, something would have to change."

Jackar looked very impressed. Letta remained the skeptic. She continued to try and poke holes in Barriss' plan. "This all sounds so foolproof, but you're forgetting one thing: How is a Jedi supposed to become suspect? Jackar's body will certainly be found and he will be known as the bomber. Do you plan to turn yourself in as the master mind here or frame someone else?"

Barriss thought for a moment. Letta had a good point. "No, I won't be turning myself in. The whole point is for a Jedi to possibly be the bomber but with no lead suspects." She furled her brow in deep thought. "What ordinances are you planning on using for the bombing?"

Jackar lead Barriss to a locked storage locker in the abandoned warehouse. He opened it to reveal some tibanna gas energy cells used in LAAT particle cannons. "I am a weapons expert. I am the foreman over all of the gunships that are stationed at the Jedi Temple. I can rig these energy cells to blow at any time. The blast won't be very big, but everything within the blast will be vaporized including me." Jackar lowered his head for a moment. He tried very hard to stay strong for Letta in the face of his death, but it was difficult to describe and plan in such detail.

Barriss thought for a moment. "There's a chance that a part of you could remain or that the blast throws you out of the way at ignition. This method is riddled with liabilities that would endanger our mission."

"Our?" Letta interrupted from behind them. "So you're with us then?"

"Yes. So long as no lives are lost you have my support and aid." Barriss turned to Jackar. "Do you have any other munitions stored away here?"

Jackar shrugged. "I have some spare parts and tools here there along with a few surplus armaments. I assure you though that these energy cells are our best bet for a bomb that I could carry in."

"What surplus armaments?" Barriss had a hunch, but wasn't ready to reveal her idea.

"Mostly nanodroids. They are used to repair damaged hulls and replace internal parts by constructing at a microscopic level." Jackar motioned to another storage locker at the end of the hallway they were in.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Barriss smiled. They walked over to the storage locker and Jackar opened it to reveal over a dozen crates of nanodroid technology. Barriss turned to Jackar with her eyes glistening with a new idea. "I have worked with these before. Medical teams use these in the field to help aid clone bodies in recovery; regulating blood flow, sealing ruptures and breaking up clots."

"These aren't medical grade nanodroids though." Jackar reminded her. "These are designed to repair weapons and vehicles, not people."

"I know the difference. I can quickly engineer them to be medical nanodroids. Physically, they are identical. It's just a matter of swapping the programming chip that their canister links them to." Barriss finally saw her plan taking shape. Letta was giving her the skeptic look again, so she elaborated further. "Once they are reprogrammed, you would ingest them, Jackar. They would circulate through your bloodstream evenly spreading out. You're a munitions expert. If you could trigger them to explode, you would be the bomb. Your death would be instant, practically painless, and there wouldn't be a trace left of you. Can you rig them to explode?"

Jackar furled his brow over his one yellow eye. "I could… I could even set them to go off by trigger. This could work." He looked to Letta who was happy and sad at the prospect of this plan. He was going to die anyway, but deep down Letta wanted his last moments to be with her and not in the Jedi Temple fighting for a cause.

Barriss smiled and bowed respectfully. "Excellent. I've been gone from the Temple a bit too long. My master may be looking for me. I will return here to reprogram the nanodroids. I think we should keep contact to a minimum as this plot needs to be completely secret. Check back here in three days. If you find a canister sitting in middle of the floor, it will mean that I have reprogrammed them. Letta, all you need to do is make sure that Jackar eats something laced with the nanodroids and they will do the rest."

Jackar and Letta smiled warily. They were grateful for Barriss' help, but were nervous about using the nanodroids in this manner. Jackar seemed to be distinctly nervous about something, but Barriss assumed that it was simply his closeness to death. Letta asked. "How should we contact you when we are ready to proceed with this?" She seemed to finally be on board.

Barriss thought for a moment before answering. "Don't. I'll need to appear to have no knowledge of this plan. Jedi can sense each other's agitation or nervousness very easily. I'll need to not know when this happens so that I may look no more innocent or guilty as any other Jedi. If the week ends without anything happening, I will contact you."

Letta looked a little agitated by not being in control on who contacts who. "If we shouldn't contact you, then how will I let you know if something is wrong after the bombing? What if I need your help?"

Barriss thought for a long moment. They needed a contingency plan. "Don't contact me. I'm involved with this. If I'm even suspected, the entire point of this will be over. Instead, ask for Ahsoka Tano. She's a Jedi and a close friend. Whatever trouble you may get into, she can help. Being her friend, I may be able to passively help as well."

They were all in agreement. After a few short goodbyes', Jackar took Barriss back to the Temple in his speeder. He made sure to drop her off a couple kilometers from the Jedi Temple so as not to be seen with her or draw suspicion. She bowed to him respectfully and thanked him for being willing to give up his life to save the Jedi Order. They shared some thanks and went their separate ways. Barriss began walking back to the Temple and, for the first time in nearly a year, she looked onward at the Jedi Temple with hope.

* * *

Four Days Later…

The blast rocked the entire Jedi Temple. Jackar Bowmani had given his life for the sake of the Jedi Order. Media crews, concerned citizens, and emergency response authorities rushed to the Jedi Temple as soon as thick, black smoke was seen billowing from the iconic building. When Barriss felt the concussive force of the explosion in her living quarters at the Jedi Temple, her heart began to race. Something was terribly wrong. She assumed the explosion wasn't going to happen so soon and it was too late in the day.

She made it very clear to Jackar and Letta that the bombing wasn't supposed to endanger any lives. It was just supposed to cripple the Temple's war efforts and provide a chance for the Jedi to reflect on their placement in the war. Jackar was supposed to go in very early before anyone would be in the hangar, but the sun was nearing mid day. The hangar may have been filled with Jedi, clones and Temple workers! Barriss left her room and rushed for the Jedi Temple hangar where the bomb went off. She merged with the flood of Jedi who were on their way to the hangar from all over the Temple. Some, like Barriss, were ready to help the injured while others were ready to fight off any sort of invasion that might be taking place.

Voices were shouting all over the Temple. It was a level of chaos that Barriss had not witnessed there ever before. When she arrived at the hangar, she froze at the sight of utter devastation. The entire hangar was in ruins with well over a dozen dead. People were rushing past her almost knocking her down as they frantically looked for survivors or contenders. Barriss didn't want to stand out or be noticed. So she got a grip on the harsh reality and went to work healing the survivors. On the surface she was calm and compassionate; just under the skin she was running wild with questions. Barriss couldn't figure out what went wrong. Her plan with Jackar and Letta seemed to have no margin for error. There was even a trigger for the nanodroids to explode so that the timing would be right.

The first victim Barriss tended to only had a mild burn. She had hoped that there would be many who only needed some small portion of care, but that was the only one. The next body was dead… and the next. She scoured the debris looking for signs of life. She checked another body that appeared to be dead with false hope that it wasn't. As she knelt down to look for signs of life in her futile effort, she heard a cough behind her. Barriss pivoted around almost excited to find a survivor. Her smiling face quickly contorted to a face of terror as she beheld what was left of Tutso Mara.

"Barriss…" Tutso coughed out. "H- Help me." Barriss immediately tried to heal the human young man, but his injuries were too severe. Even with the Force, Barriss was helpless. Tutso Mara was an old friend who had trained with Barriss. He had helped her learn many of the skills that aided her out in the field. Her emotions broke through the forefront and tears began trickling down her olive face. After her attempt at healing him was given up, she reached for his hand. She held it fiercely as he looked into her eyes for one last time. "W- Why…" Tutso's hand fell limp and he was gone in that moment.

Barriss grasped his hand still for a long time. Paramedics and Jedi were rushing frantically around her, but they were but a blur in the background. 'All of this devastation… all of this pain… it is all my fault. Tutso is gone. It is all my fault!' Barriss thought to herself. She broke into a very emphatic cry and ran from the hangar. No one looked twice as she broke her code of conduct. Many Jedi were saddened over the sudden loss. Many more were enraged and lusted for revenge.

* * *

In the Jedi Council Chamber, the Council members discussed the matters concerning the bombing. Hologram figures were appearing and disappearing frequently to update the Council on the status of the hangar, the search for other bombs, the casualty count, and many other points of interest. Council members spoke amongst themselves. It was a hive of high decision making and information sharing. All of the proceedings came to a standstill when Supreme Chancellor Palpatine appeared as a hologram in the center of the chamber.

Jedi Master Mace Windu raised a hand with a stern look on his face. "Chancellor, if you wish to discuss a war matter, it can wait. I'm sure that you've seen out your office window that we have a situation here."

"Your situation is why I am contacting you, Master Jedi. What is the status of the Jedi Temple and what do you know about this attack?" Chancellor Palpatine was his usual diplomatic self.

Mace Windu normally was at least a little respectful, but he was consumed by the bombing and had no patience for the career politician. "From what we have observed already, we can confidently say that this is an isolated attack on the Jedi Temple. Therefore, it is an internal Jedi matter and none of your concern."

"Quite the contrary, Master Windu." Palpatine pressed on. "Clones died in that blast as well as civilian workers. When soldiers and civilians lives are lost, the citizens of the Republic take great notice in the events that unfold around the attack. This means that the Senate is already involved." The Council members looked at each other hoping that one of them could offer an argument. After a moment of silence, Palpatine smiled. "Now if you would please, inform me of the status of the Temple and what is known about the attack. Do you know if it is another Separatist sabotage?"

"We are still gathering information." Master Plo Koon responded. "Initial analysis presents no evidence that it was a Separatist attack, but a rogue assassin."

Ki-Adi-Mundi added on. "The Jedi Temple is on lockdown. Most of the damage from the blast is isolated to the Hangar. The main concern at the moment are the casualties. The Hanger was filled with Jedi, clones, and temple workers."

Palpatine continued his queries and learned as much as he could. Once it was painfully obvious that the Council was growing very tired of his polite interrogation, he asked the final and most important question. "Members of the Jedi Council, it seems that you are avoiding the reality of a very dangerous internal threat. Have you not considered that a Jedi could be behind this attack?"

The Council members looked at each other with grave expressions. After a moment of silence, Master Yoda replied. "Highly unlikely it is that a Jedi could be responsible. However, a chance… there is."

Palpatine had the Council right where he wanted. "With the possibility of a Jedi being responsible, isn't it a conflict of interest for Jedi to be leading the investigation for the bombing?"

Mace Windu spoke up in his increasingly aggravated tone. "The chances are minimal. Jedi died in that blast."

"Nevertheless," Palpatine continued pushing the subject. "The Senate agrees that there would be a conflict of interest. I am assigning Admiral Tarkin to lead the investigation."

Windu countered the Chancellor's decision. "This isn't an attack on a military installation. It is an attack on our home. We will have a Jedi lead the investigation who wasn't here during the attack. That Jedi would not be a suspect due to an off world alibi."

Palpatine added to Windu's counter. "You will assign a Jedi who was off world… of my choosing. With my consent of the Jedi investigator, the Senate will be appeased. Admiral Tarkin will assist in the investigation as an additional comfort to the people of the Republic."

Mace Windu turned to Yoda. Master Yoda gave Mace a look of grim acceptance. Without a word between them, they arrived at a decision. Mace turned back to the Chancellor. "Very well. Which Jedi would you approve of to lead the investigation?" They asked, but they already knew the answer.

Palpatine smiled malevolently in his victory. "Assign Anakin Skywalker to the case… and his young Padawan. I believe her name is… Ahsoka Tano."

Plo Koon opposed the request. "Skywalker and his Padawan are beginning the ground assault of the Cato Niemodia invasion. That would be quite impossible."

Palpatine wasn't even troubled for a moment. He immediately dissolved the opposing views. "I have faith in our troops. I am confident that our clone warriors can achieve victory without two Jedi. Anakin is tenacious. He has the ability to stir up trouble and reveal the culprits quickly which is exactly what we need. Furthermore, I have heard that his Padawan takes direction very well, but is also quite assertive herself. She will be able to handle the legwork while Master Skywalker hunts down the criminals behind the bombing."

Master Yoda gave Plo Koon the same grim look of acceptance. Plo looked around to see if anyone else could oppose the Chancellor's request. After seeing the faces of defeat on the Council member's faces, Plo Koon lowered his head. He didn't want his 'Little Soka' to be involved in this bombing. Yoda looked at the Chancellor and accepted. "Very well. Summon Skywalker and his Padawan, I will."


	5. Chapter 5

Letta Turmond sat in a state of perpetual sadness watching the events of the Jedi Temple bombing unfold on a projected screen in her apartment. She felt helpless and alone. Jackar's dedication to his cause was admirable, but it blinded him to the effects that it would have on his wife. A local news reporter's voice was the only thing keeping Letta from drowning in the silence of her apartment.

_"The Jedi are still refusing to offer any statement on the explosion inside the Jedi Temple Hangar. Based on the military mobilization around the Galactic Senate building it is fair to assume that this was no accident. Many concerned citizens are beginning to gather at the steps of the Temple. Some appear to be protesting the war but most appear to be there out of concern for loved ones who may have been injured or killed in the explosion. Jedi Master Cin Drallig and a team of Jedi Temple Guardians are preventing the crowd from entering the Jedi Temple…"_

Letta felt such sympathy for those who were at the Temple waiting on word of their loved ones. The only difference between them and her was her knowledge of the bombing and knowing that her husband would never return home. After a moment or two, she realized that she would be there if she didn't know about Jackar's suicide bombing. In order to look innocent, she should go to the Jedi Temple like the other family members who were searching for their loved ones. Letta knew that she wouldn't ever see Jackar again, but going was what she should have done. Besides, she couldn't bear the empty apartment. She turned off the news and left for the Temple.

* * *

Once the alarms were silenced and the Temple was secured, events and activities of the Jedi Temple began to proceed as normal once again albeit at a more alert intensity. Barriss Offee wasn't able to ignore the loss of Tutso Mara, but she did find a middle ground where she could function normally. She bottled up the emotion like she used to. It was difficult and she knew that it would probably hurt more in the long run that way, but it was what she had to do in order to leave her room without falling apart emotionally.

Unintentionally, Barriss was slowly replacing her mournful thoughts with feelings of rage. She went over her time with Jackar Bowmani and Letta Turmond again and again trying to figure out something that they missed. 'Why did Jackar explode so late in the day?' She kept asking herself. No one was supposed to get hurt nonetheless die! Barriss was arriving at the only conclusion that made sense. She had been betrayed. With Jackar having a trigger that set off the nanodroids whenever he wanted, he had to have intentionally waited until the hangar was full of people. He initially wanted to kill the majority of the Jedi Council. She should have anticipated this betrayal.

Barriss wasn't victim to her emotions. She was aware of the rage building within her. She recognized that being alone with her thoughts was only going to accelerate her downward spiral of thinking. So, she left her living quarters and started walking the halls. Everyone was talking about the bombing. She even heard several people mention the possibility of a Jedi being responsible. At first, Barriss was pleased to hear the gossip. Conversations were deviating to talk of the suspected Jedi's motives and provocations. The idea of reforming the Jedi Order was seeding in the minds of many throughout the Temple. However, not every overheard segment of gossip was good for Barriss to hear.

While most of the passerby's were talking about the Jedi Order in general and perhaps they shouldn't be surprised that a Jedi would bomb the Temple, there were also a lot of negative comments about the bomber. Barriss should have been prepared to hear the comments, but they were delivered far more painfully than anticipated. The words like 'traitor' and 'Dark Jedi' sunk like daggers into her heart. Most of the comments were subjective and vague due to just being based on a rumor, but she took each comment personally. It was too early to tell if the Jedi would truly reestablish their role or simply write off the suspected Jedi as another traitor like Dooku or Krell. Barriss tried her best not to let the overheard comments get to her too much. It wasn't her fault that people were killed. That was Jackar and Letta's doing.

Her saddening train of thought was immediately halted when she overheard a very crucial piece of information concerning the bombing. Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, were called back to Coruscant to lead the investigation of the bombing. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest! Barriss immediately began considering the possibility of Ahsoka and her even stealing just a few minutes to talk. She wouldn't confess to the bombing or anything, but she desperately wanted to see her best friend again to confide in about her frustrations. Luminara was keeping her distance at the moment and Barriss was happy to have her space. Luminara probably realized that she'd gone too far with her confrontation in Ahsoka's room. 'Hopefully…'

Thoughts of excitement were quickly dampened when Barriss overheard the name Letta Turmond. News of Anakin taking her in for questioning was the last thing she wanted to hear. 'How in the world could Master Skywalker already suspect Letta's involvement?' Barriss thought to herself as she roamed the halls of the Jedi Temple. 'Letta… What have you and your husband dragged me into?'

Barriss Offee walked down to the holding cells as quickly as she could without bringing attention to herself. She kept her head lowered and tried her best to hide her hastened pace in the layers of her traditional Jedi attire. In moments that felt like hours, she arrived just in time to see Anakin Skywalker just outside an open cell. She continued her pace. Anakin walked inside the cell. Barriss was able to look inward for a brief moment to see Letta inside before the door closed behind Anakin.

For a very brief second, Letta's and Barriss' eyes met. Barriss saw a frightened and timid Letta who appeared to be in a compromising mood. Barriss' face grimaced with the thought of Letta acting so selfishly and wanted Letta reminded that there were more lives than her own at risk. However, the message sent was not the message that was received. Letta saw Barriss' face and it pushed her skeptical mind to begin doubting Barriss' resolve. They shared an uneasy trust to begin with.

When the cell was closed, Barriss wanted to go to the surveillance room and watch the interrogation, but her Padawan authority didn't allow her to enter. So, she returned back to the halls. Even if Letta was released with no charge, she would still be a person of interest. Barriss couldn't risk contacting her. After only a short time, Barriss saw Letta leaving the Jedi Temple. Letta appeared frightened, but more assured somehow. Not knowing what went on in that holding cell gnawed away at Barriss, but there was nothing she could do about it.

She knew that she could only roam the halls aimlessly for so long before looking suspicious, so Barriss returned to her room for a much-needed rest. She lied down and was about to fall into a light sleep when her door opened without warning. Barriss reached for her lightsaber with her war-hardened reflexes, but froze when she saw a droid enter her room. It was one of the droid detective's little assistant droids. Barriss quickly returned her lightsaber to its designated place in her room and waited for the droid to explain its intrusion.

The little, humanoid droid turned its large, binocular-shaped head back and forth and all around as it scanned Barriss Offee's room. After an uncomfortable moment, the droid stopped scanning and walked towards Barriss who was sitting on her bed. "Pardon the intrusion, Padawan Offee, but have you seen this Abyssin worker?" A small holo-image of Jackar appeared out of its hand.

Barriss put on the pragmatic and indifferent face that her Master liked to use so often. "No, I haven't. Who is he?"

The droid responded. "He is a person of interest in the bombing of the Temple. Where were you located during the explosion?"

"I was here." Barriss responded. Until the droid asked some more probing questions she didn't feel the need to be alarmed.

"Did you hear or witness anything prior to the bombing that you would consider odd or unusual?" The droid continued.

"Not that I can remember. Is it true that a Jedi is behind the attack?" Barriss saw an opportunity to get some information on the case.

"Nothing is certain at this ti-" The droid was interrupted when a droid language began communicating with it from the holoprojector in its hand. The brief message was relayed and then the droid turned around to leave hurriedly.

Barriss called after it. "Wait! Stop! What is going on?"

The droid turned towards Barriss and said. "We have found Jackar Bowmani." The droid then continued on its way back to the Droid Detective. Just hearing the droid mention his name caused Barriss' heart to jump and her mind to go into overload. 'If Jackar is alive, what caused the explosion in the hangar? Is that why Letta was here?' She thought to herself.

Barriss had no way of receiving any more information on the case. The Jedi Temple was beginning to shut down for the night aside from the additional security placed in light of the bombing. Everything was upside down. The droid detective had no doubt brought Anakin and Ahsoka to interrogate Jackar. It was only a matter of time before Jedi Temple Guards would come knocking at her door to arrest her for conspiracy and accessory to murder.

The night came and dragged on yet no one came. After giving up on waiting for an arrest, Barriss tried to sleep through the rest of what would be a very long and restless night.

* * *

In the morning, Barriss Offee woke up to a temple-wide holo-transmission. A funeral service was about to be given for the Jedi who died in the bombing. The entire night passed and she was still not under arrest. At least for the moment, she was in the clear. Barriss considered not going to the funeral. She was at the very least partially responsible for their deaths. Barriss needed to act as if she knew nothing about the bombing though. So, she steeled herself and headed out to the ceremonial chamber.

A flood of Jedi, officers, friends and family slowly found their seats as the service was about to begin. Barriss felt for a moment as she did before any of this disaster ever unfolded. She was just another Jedi amidst thousands. Almost robotically she made her way to a seat and waited for the service to begin. Her mind was running everywhere but the current moment. It wasn't until everyone was quiet and Jedi Master Mace Windu began speaking that she realized she had sat directly in front of Tutso Mara's body.

She tried to hold it in, but the pain and feelings of loss accompanied by guilt were too much for her to hide. Barriss desperately searched with her eyes to find something else to focus on, something to keep her strong. As if on cue, she felt a nudge on her right elbow. She pulled the side of her hood back and saw the best person possible to be sitting next to her, Ahsoka Tano. Fashionably late as always, Ahsoka and Anakin tried to squeeze in to their seats. No one seemed to care, but Master Windu shot them a glare between phrases.

Nothing was said, but just finally having Ahsoka at her side made everything for Barriss so much easier to bear. Ahsoka gave a gentle elbow nudge to Barriss as a silent hello. Barriss didn't nudge back, but smiled under her hood. She began to wonder about what her master had said. 'Maybe she is right. Maybe I am too reliant on Ahsoka… No. I've lost close friends and have been betrayed. This isn't a normal circumstance. I need a friend because I'm going through a hard time. It's not wrong to seek comfort when you're hurting. If someone is hurting, the last thing they should be is alone.'

Just as Barriss was reassuring herself that reveling in Ahsoka's company was okay, Mace Windu finished his opening statements and the next Jedi Master stepped forward to speak, Luminara Unduli. Barriss wasn't even paying attention to the funeral until her master's voice hit her ears. Her eyes snapped up to meet Luminara's. Master Unduli began speaking of how all living beings are connected by the Force and that life is never truly lost. Her speech was profound and comforting, but her eyes continually stopped at Barriss as she looked back and forth across the room.

Everyone in the room saw the normal, balanced and stoic demeanor that Luminara was known for, but Barriss could see past it. There were subtle gestures that linked together a subliminal lecture. Barriss didn't even need to hear anything. Luminara was feeling a combination or worry and disappointment seeing her Padawan sitting alongside Ahsoka and Barriss could see it clear as day. Barriss held a subtle glare towards her master for a time, but she couldn't hold her resolve for long. She couldn't keep looking past Tutso Mara's body to have this silent argument with her master. Even as just a blur in the foreground as she focused her eyes on Luminara it was impossible to put the pain aside. By the time Luminara was finished speaking, Barriss was emotionally shattered and numb to any sort of comfort Ahsoka's presence could give.

The rest of the service passed in what felt like days. Barriss continually had to reel herself back from crying over how many had died thanks to her plot gone wrong. As the final speaker, Master Yoda asked for a moment of silence before concluding the ceremony. Ahsoka couldn't help but notice Barriss' anguish and took the opportunity to inquire. She leaned over and spoke softly as not to disturb anyone. "You were close to one of them?"

"Tutso Mara. We trained together. He taught me how to hold my lightsaber correctly." Barriss replied as she kept her gaze on the Jedi ceremonial cloth that covered Tutso's body. Hearing Ahsoka's voice was like serenity given auditory form. Ahsoka didn't speak further so as not to disrupt the moment of silence, but she remained close to Barriss as a silent pillar of strength.

With Yoda's final statements, the fallen Jedi were lowered into the floor. Doors closed over them and beams of light shot up to the ceiling. It symbolized the Jedi becoming one with the Force. The pain was still very raw, but seeing the symbolic gesture gave Barriss a bit of closure.

The crowd of officers, Jedi and others slowly emptied the room. Barriss wasn't ready to be alone and didn't want her master to track her down for another round of lectures. So, she followed Ahsoka and Anakin in her own silent and shadow-like way. A Republic Officer, Admiral Tarkin had joined them as they walked through one of the many massive halls of the Jedi Temple and began discussing the ongoing bombing investigation. As they all walked shoulder to shoulder, Barriss wasn't particularly pleased with how the Admiral and Anakin had maneuvered their walk to put Ahsoka and Barriss apart from each other. It wasn't intentional though and Barriss wasn't about to make a scene.

As Tarkin spoke to Anakin, Ahsoka gave Barriss a quick smirk. It was a subtle gesture, but Barriss always found comfort when Ahsoka smiled like that. It sort of held the idea or perspective of 'whatever, we can take on the world with our hands behind our backs anyways.' Barriss hadn't intended to learn more about the bombing investigation. She was just hoping to spend some more time with Ahsoka, but she was very eager to learn more regardless. So, she listened in on Tarkin and Anakin talking.

Things had escalated much further than she knew. Letta Turmond had been arrested for the murder of her husband, Jackar Bowmani and for organizing the bombing of the Jedi Temple hangar. The topic of discussion was what to do next with Letta. Admiral Tarkin informed the Jedi that Letta had been moved into a military holding area and taken out of Jedi custody. Ahsoka was very upset when Tarkin continued by stating the Supreme Chancellor's plan to remove Jedi from as many military matters as possible. Ahsoka stepped ahead and stood in front of them. She apparently already felt very strongly about Letta's fate. "If Letta's guilty she's guilty and she should be dealt with."

Her raw anger over the situation surprised Barriss, but she remained a silent listener. Ahsoka was defeated in the argument when Anakin spoke up agreeing with Tarkin. Ahsoka grimaced at the floor in protest. Barriss wanted to comfort her friend a little, but she was feeling her own frustrations and confusion towards the situation. Despite her attack on the Temple, nothing had changed. Even her closest friend wanted to maintain control over the military. When the tension-filled silence became too uncomfortable, Barriss finally spoke up. "The evidence seems clear, Ahsoka. Nothing will ever change." The unfortunate frustration for her was that she agreed with Tarkin for the most part. Barriss didn't think the Jedi belonged anywhere near a war's battlefront. However, removal of the Jedi at this point due to a lack of faith from the Republic was like a punch in the gut.

Tarkin continued walking and gave a few final words to strengthen his argument. Barriss couldn't help but feel distain for the officer, but didn't interject further. He spoke of complete removal of the Jedi from the Clone Wars. Adding to Ahsoka's frustration, Anakin sided with Tarkin. Once Tarkin was ready to leave through an elevator and had made his last snide comment, Barriss turned to Anakin and Ahsoka. Accompanying them any further would prompt inquiry and she wanted to remain discreet with any attention away from her. "I have many things to attend to, Masters. Good day." She respectfully bowed and made her exit. As she walked past Ahsoka, Barriss said Ahsoka's name hardly above a whisper as a more intimate farewell to a friend.

The conversation between Tarkin, Ahsoka and Anakin was immediately playing through Barriss' mind over and over as she walked back to her living quarters. She didn't like Tarkin at all, but she couldn't help but agree with him. When he mentioned removing the Jedi from military matters she saw a chance for the Jedi to finally return to the Light. It may be ill-timed and for the wrong reasons, but perhaps her plot with Letta and Jackar may have succeeded, just not the way she had wanted. The ends hardly justified the means, but a Jedi mustn't focus on the negative or the past.

Barriss was so caught up in thought she didn't even notice that Ahsoka had ran down the hall to catch up to her. "Company?" The familiar voice came up from beside her. Barriss, of course, agreed. With just the two of them walking alone, Barriss finally had an opportunity to confide in her friend. Ahsoka spoke first. "Every time I think about this I feel conflicted. It's hard not to let feelings turn into attachment and pain."

Ahsoka brought up the exact topic of discussion Barriss wanted to go over. She had been frequently asking herself ever since this entire mess started what Ahsoka would do in her place and her own views on attachments and emotions. She remained resolute and assured of herself, but her master's confrontation was still a terrible emotional bruise on her mind. "Ahsoka, have you ever wondered if it was right to ignore your emotions?" Barriss asked.

Ahsoka answered. "My master would say our struggle as Jedi is to move past them."

Barriss smiled. "You make it sound so easy." Moving past them certainly sounded easier than suppressing them. Maybe Ahsoka could guide her in a meditation later.

"Well, it isn't easy, but it's possible." Ahsoka explained. "Like when we were stuck in that battle tank on Geonosis. It was hard not to be afraid. Still, you and I got past it, and I guess we'll get past this."

"You've always been capable of seeing things clearly." Barriss marveled at her friend's wisdom. She envied such clarity of thought.

Ahsoka chuckled at Barriss' remark. "I guess I've fooled you like I fooled everyone else." Barriss was finally going to learn where Ahsoka stood on the issue of Jedi in the war, but the conversation was cut short by Ahsoka's comlink beeping. Her master, Anakin, was calling her to the war room. As Ahsoka's brief transmission with her master commenced, Barriss couldn't help but marvel at the fact that a temple of 'peacekeepers' even had a war room.

When the transmission was over, Ahsoka turned back to Barriss. "Look, I have to believe that one way or another this woman is going to pay for what she did." There was a wild fury in Ahsoka's eyes as she spoke of justice or revenge. It wasn't clear as to which. Ahsoka was actually trying to reassure Barriss with the ideas of punishing Letta. The opportunity to confide in Ahsoka was ruined and seeing Ahsoka's thirst so openly for revenge hurt Barriss deeply. She needed to end the conversation while she could still maintain composure.

"You shouldn't keep your master waiting." She said with a respectful bow and smile. Ahsoka ran off towards the war room. Barriss fell into despair before Ahsoka was even out of sight. How could she even continue being a part of the Order? Her best friend was just as tainted by the Dark Side as the members of the Jedi Council.


	6. Chapter 6

A short flight away from the Jedi Temple, Admiral Tarkin was interrogating his new prisoner, Letta Turmond, in a Republic detention facility. Letta was immensely frustrated by the same questions being asked over and over again by numerous people. Tarkin, however, was different. Letta barked at his initial questions of formality. "I already told you and the last three men! Jackar gave his life to make a statement! It was his plan!"

Tarkin smiled maliciously. "All of it was his plan and his doing. You just fed him the nanodroids at his request. Otherwise you're innocent. Correct?"

"Yes! Now, let me go!" Letta was done. This would be the last officer she'd even say a word to.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere, Miss Turmond. By that confession, you're still complicit in Jackar's actions and aided in the deaths of over a dozen lives. Enough on that though. I want to talk more about the plan of the attack." Tarkin slowly paced the small interrogation room, walking behind her and maintaining his authoritarian presence.

Letta groaned and rested her head on the table in front of her. Tarkin ignored the gesture and continued the interrogation. "Where did you say you worked?"

"In the market." Letta said with her head resting on her arms. She was beaten and worn down, exactly where Tarkin needed her to be.

"Do, you have any medical training? Specifically in medical engineering?"

"What? No. I work in the market."

"Did Jackar ever work in the medical wing of the Jedi Temple?"

"No. He always worked on vehicles."

Tarkin circled around in front of Letta and slammed his fists down on the table in front of her. "Then how would the two of you, with no medical training, be able to reprogram nanodroids to be able to follow a bloodstream benevolently up until the point of detonation?"

"I… ah…" Letta was caught off guard by the line of questioning. There was no answer that she could give.

"Your husband is dead. All we have is your testimony and all of the evidence points to you! So, are you going to lie to me about reprogramming the nanodroids or are you going to tell me WHO HELPED YOU!?" Tarkin had her in a corner and they both knew it.

"No nanodroids were supposed to be found. They were all supposed to explode!" Letta pleaded.

"Then it looks like whoever helped you has set you up to take the fall. Either that or they didn't consider the nanodroids in the hand being too close to the detonation trigger to receive signals from it." Tarkin excelled at manipulating people. He never had any doubt that he would get every answer he wanted when entering that room.

"I… It's…" Letta almost gave up Barriss' name, but she remembered that Jackar's death would be for nothing if she did. So, she remembered the contingency plan. "I won't speak to you anymore. I won't speak to anyone but Ahsoka Tano."

"Agreed." Tarkin grinned. Letta's eyes looked up in surprise. He accepted her ultimatum without any fight. She was glad not to fight for her ability to speak with Ahsoka, but why was that so easy?

* * *

Moments later, a holo-image of Admiral Tarkin appeared in Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's office. "Chancellor, I have news." Tarkin stated nondescriptly.

Palpatine turned to the government officials in his office. "It's late. Perhaps we can continue this discussion tomorrow when we are all better rested. Goodnight." The few officials respectfully bowed and left promptly. Tarkin's image remained statuesque as he waited for a sign that he could continue.

Once no one was in the room but the chancellor and Mas Amedda, Tarkin continued. "Ahsoka Tano is on her way to see the prisoner."

"Very good, Admiral. Stay at the facility and await my orders." Palpatine grinned slightly. His puppets were all behaving as according to plan. He turned to his blue changrian vice chancellor, Mas Amedda. "Ready my private ship." Without a word, Mas Amedda swiftly exited the office and made the preparations for Palpatine to go to the Republic Detention Facility.

* * *

The flight through Coruscant was pleasant albeit a bit boring for Darth Sidious. He would occasionally look out of the windows of his private shuttle at the little dots of people scurrying about like rats in a maze. He didn't need to be so far above them to see them that way. They were always small and insignificant. So much of his life had been spent maintaining appearances and slowly biding his time. For being one of the most powerful Sith Lords to have ever lived, he spent fairly little time as his true self. It was moments like this trip to the Republic Detention Facility that he reveled in. Yet again at long last he could exercise his power.

So as not to draw attention to himself, he was flying one of his less-known private shuttles that wouldn't be recognized as the Supreme Chancellor's ship. He needed to remain discrete. As soon as he landed in a showy spot near the detention facility, he turned off the shuttle and used its computer to bring up a holo-image of Letta Turmond's cell. He was slightly amused as he watched her pace nervously back and forth in her small holding cell.

After an annoyingly long wait, a light on his communicator dashboard started to blink. He looked up and saw Ahsoka Tano land her Jedi speeder and enter the facility. She looked aggravated. 'Good.' Sidious thought. 'Hold on to that anger. It will help sell the show.' After he lost sight of Ahsoka, he hit a button on the dash and a holo-projection of Admiral Tarkin appeared. He stood at attention and awaited orders. "The Jedi has entered the facility. Go to the Security Control Center. Order anyone inside to leave, and then disable the audio recording on the prisoner's cell monitor."

"It will be done, my Lord." Tarkin bowed and his holo-image vanished. Darth Sidious turned his attention back to the live feed monitoring Letta Turmond's cell. With nearly perfect timing, the audio stopped transmitting just as Ahsoka Tano entered the room to speak with Letta. Sidious didn't need the sound though. He could sense every thought and feeling in the entire building. He used the Force to practically be in the holding cell with them. Ahsoka was interrogating Letta who was about to give up Barriss' name.

Darth Sidious waited for just the right moment; right before Letta could speak the name. Then, he simply lifted a hand from inside his shuttle outside the building and Letta began to gasp for air. For dramatic emphasis, Sidious used the Force to pick Letta up while using Force Choke. He drew it out. Letta squirmed and scraped at her neck for hands that weren't there. Ahsoka reached up and tried to combat the Force Choke, but she had no idea who she was up against. He didn't even blink at the resistance she tried to make. After enough footage was captured of Ahsoka using the Force towards Letta as she choked, he closed his fist and Letta fell to the floor. There was no reviving her. Letta's throat was crushed.

Sidious wore a sinister, wide grin of malevolent victory on his face as he watched clones rush in to arrest Ahsoka. For so long he had craved this moment. Finally, he would be rid of Skywalker's last hope keeping him from falling to the Dark Side. He turned off the monitor and activated the holo-communicator. Tarkin's image appeared. The Admiral bowed respectively. "Well done, my Lord."

"Go to Jedi Offee's living quarters. It is time to recruit our newest agent." Sidious' grin was malicious and unsettling.

"Very good, my Lord. I shall report back once it is done." Admiral Tarkin bowed again and vanished. Darth Sidious cackled and laughed as he turned on his shuttle and headed back to his office in the Senate Building. The night on Coruscant just grew a little bit darker.

* * *

Back at the Jedi Temple, Barriss Offee was trying once again to dissolve her feelings of conflict and guilt through meditation in her living quarters. She was focusing on what Ahsoka suggested; moving past them. It was a new and different approach, but she was already getting more results on her first try than when using her master's suppression method. The blinds to her lone window were shut leaving no light in the room aside from the soft amber half-orb on the far wall. There wasn't a lot of ambient light from Coruscant's nocturnal, neon glow that managed to penetrate her window, but she enjoyed the extra feeling of privacy.

As she gracefully levitated about a half meter above the floor, she replayed many conversations and memories over. She managed to resolve a few issues, but nothing major. If Letta and Jackar intentionally betrayed her, she managed to find the strength within herself to forgive them. Slowly, the deepest parts of her mind were beginning to relax. This time during meditation, however, she kept the hallway outside her room within her awareness. She didn't want to be interrupted unexpectedly again.

It was a good thing that she was focusing on the hallway since a man had slowed to a stop at her door. There wasn't any knocking. He just stood there for a moment. Barriss slowly retreated from the depths of her meditation and lowered to the floor. She dedicated more of her focus on the man and could sense that he was fidgeting or tinkering with some sort of device. As she finished coming back from meditation and opened her eyes, her door opened without a knock or bell. Admiral Tarkin stepped in, closed the door behind him and placed a device on the door in one fluid motion. Despite her distaste for the man, he was an Admiral of the Grand Army of the Republic and she was reluctant to drive a wedge any further between the Republic and the Jedi Order. So, she remained calm and allowed his boldness.

"Admiral Tarkin? This is most unexpected. What are you doing here?" Barriss tried to hide her feelings of shock and a hint of fear, but was unsuccessful. She rose to her feet, but he still towered over her with a very authoritarian demeanor even while he wasn't facing her. He set a few switches on the device he placed on the inside of her door.

He spoke as he was activating the device. "So long as this device is active, the door will not open and all surveillance technologies are deaf and blind to everything within this room." Tarkin said matter-of-factly. He then turned around and stabbed Barriss in the neck with a syringe. "I understand you are fond of nanodroids."

"What did you just do!? Why are you here!?" Barriss pulled away as quickly as she could. She sensed malevolence in the Admiral, but she wasn't expecting to be assaulted in any way, least of all with a large syringe. She held her hand over her neck trying to Force Heal the opening left by the needle and to suppress any toxins, but there didn't seem to be any toxins. She wasn't getting dizzy or nauseous. There was just this strange feeling in her neck.

"I am here to represent someone who is interested in your future." Tarkin had a slight grin on his face with narrow eyes as he watched Barriss begin to stumble with the unusual sensation.

"Who!?" Barriss barked at him. She was considering arming her lightsaber regardless of who he was.

Tarkin pocketed the syringe and maintained his elitist demeanor. "All in good time. The injection that I just gave you was a small dose of replicating neuro-nanodroids. As we speak they are multiplying exponentially as they spread out through your entire body."

"For what purpose?" Barriss immediately began running scenarios in her mind, but she was certain that whatever she could think of wasn't as bad as what Tarkin had planned.

"Insurance. We need to know that you are going to behave and not do anything… deviant." Tarkin stood at the door to keep Barriss from making any sudden escapes.

"I… I don't understand." Barriss got a grip on the sensation of nanodroids spreading through her body.

"That is because you don't need to. I will be in touch." Tarkin turned towards the door and motioned to deactivate the device cloaking the room, but wasn't actually doing anything to it. He was waiting.

"I have experience with nanodroids!" Barriss shouted at him. "I can get them out! Whatever you're plan is, it won't work! I'll… AHHHHH!" She screamed in pain as electricity arced across her entire body. Barriss was immediately crippled to the floor and pushed to the threshold of pain that she could endure. A little bit of smoke crept up from all over her. She was being electrocuted from within her own body!

"Deviant behavior is not favorable or healthy, Padawan Offee." Tarkin turned back around revealing a small trigger in his hand. Barriss' eyes were squinted shut in pain, but she managed to peak out through her eyelids enough to see it. "Know that you will be monitored. Know that this taste of power was only a sampling. Should you tell anyone or do anything outside of what is expected of you by your peers, the next shock you receive will be fatal. To everyone you are just another Jedi, but know that you work for me now. Do I make myself clear?"

Before she could answer, he shocked her again. The nanodroids all emitted enough electricity to maximize her nervous system's ability to register pain. He continued shocking her until it was very clear that he broke any amount of resolve that she had. He waited a moment for her to recover. Once she picked herself up to her knees, he pulled a holo-device from his pocket and turned it on. The display was a view of him from a lower angle. It was exactly what Barriss was seeing through her own eyes! "From now on, we see what you see. We hear what you hear. If you even hint at trying to get the nanodroids out or deviating from your Jedi protocols in any way, we will immediately end your life."

"But… why?" Barriss was broken. Tears poured out of her eyes as she used what strength she could to stand up.

"As I said, you don't need to understand. You just need to be compliant." Tarkin turned the device on the door off and exited her room. "Have a splendid evening, Jedi Offee."

The door shut and Barriss was alone, sort of. With someone seeing what she sees and hearing what she says she wouldn't ever be alone again. She collapsed on her bed in tears. Barriss was only beginning to understand the situation she was in. There was no telling who all was involved in this plot or what their plans for her were. The only certainty was that there would be no happy ending for this scenario. Even if she served this new power over her, there was no telling whether or not they would kill her as soon as her usefulness to them expired. Barriss couldn't tell anyone. She couldn't do anything. Barriss Offee spent the rest of the night drowning in her own tears curled up in a ball on her bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Ahsoka Tano had been in prison for a single day. She'd been in worse scrapes before and was certain that she would be freed eventually. Her faith in the Jedi Order and in her master, Anakin Skywalker, kept her strong. Even if no one could prove her innocence, she trusted that her master would bust her out. He would never turn against her or let her become a victim of anyone's agenda. Far more than a misunderstanding was at work though and Anakin Skywalker was not going to be the one to free her.

Night had fallen and the clone troopers in the Republic Detention Facility on Coruscant were making their rounds checking to make sure that everything was secure. A non-descript shuttle landed a little ways away from the building in a shadowy, well concealed spot. Inside the shuttle, Darth Sidious activated the ships holo-communicator. Admiral Tarkin appeared in front of him and bowed respectfully. "Awaiting you order, my Lord."

Darth Sidious was calm and calculating. While he did everything with great care, this next move was an exceptionally high risk for exposure, but be couldn't trust anyone else to carry out the task correctly. Too much was at stake for his plans. "It is time, Admiral Tarkin. Shut down all surveillance systems within and around the facility for… scheduled maintenance."

Tarkin's image vanished from the holo-projection and he made his way to the security control center. Sidious tapped into the live feed on his ships console to watch Ahsoka's cell. She was sleeping. 'Perfect.' He thought. A few moments later, the screen displaying Ahsoka's cell went dark and Tarkin's image reappeared on the holo-projector. "The system will be down for ten minutes. I suggest you hurry."

"Well done, Admiral." Sidious shut down the holoprojector and the rest of the ship's systems. Silent and swift, he exited the shuttle and made his way to the facility. In the middle of the night, there was no one around aside from the guards. As Darth Sidious approached, he passed several incapacitated clone troopers. He wielded the Force with such prowess that he was Force Choking the clones long before they would ever see him.

As he entered the facility and made his way down each corridor, Darth Sidious used the Force to strangle every clone trooper on the opposite side of each door he approached. It took a fair amount of restraint to keep himself from killing them all, but this had to be done as if it was a Jedi's work. Besides, all of these clones would one day serve his new empire. With the surveillance systems all offline and his silent approach at entering the facility, no one was aware of his presence aside from Admiral Tarkin who guarded the security control center.

A few corridors in, Sidious allowed three clones to see him. With a thirst that only killing could quench, he ignited his lightsaber and struck them all down before they could ever raise their blasters. There were three dead and over two dozen clones strangled to the point of losing consciousness by the time Darth Sidious made his way the checkpoint where the clone, Commander Fox, was on duty. The commander needed to stay alert so that he could launch the hunt for an escaped prisoner. So, Sidious used the Force to set off an alarm in the checkpoint. The alarm meant that a prisoner on the opposite end of the building from Ahsoka's cell was having a medical emergency. Fox immediately left the checkpoint to investigate.

With the way then clear, Sidious opened the door leading to the checkpoint and entered. He found Ahsoka Tano's lightsabers and communicator and left them on the floor in middle of the hallway that she would have to come down in order to escape. With her items in place and a keycard to unlock her cell, he swiftly made his way to her. His ten minutes were nearly up. As soft and swift as a shadow, he continued incapacitating any clone that may have had the chance to see him and planted the security keycard right outside sleeping Ahsoka's cell. Everything was in place.

Without any incident, Darth Sidious left the Republic Detention Facility the same way he came in. It was difficult not to laugh in glee as he passed all of the troopers that he took down while barely raising a finger. It was hilarious how no one knew that the Dark Lord of the Sith was the also the leader of the Galactic Republic and just how powerless everyone was to his will.

Admiral Tarkin, being an officer monitoring the security controls and surveillance systems, needed to make himself scarce by the time Darth Sidious was through setting the scene. He left the facility out an opposite way from the dark lord's path so as not to interfere. Once he arrived at his own ship he activated his personal holo-communicator. After a moment, the blue, glowing image of Darth Sidious appeared. "It is done. Stay away from the detention facility and await further orders."

"As you wish, my Lord." Tarkin nodded and deactivated his holo-communicator.

* * *

Ahsoka Tano was on the run. After escaping Anakin Skywalker's pursuit and fleeing to the lower levels of Coruscant, she wasn't sure what her next move would be. All she knew was to keep moving. With Anakin leading the pursuit, she needed to reach out to someone else for help. She couldn't hope to stay on the run forever and she needed to figure out who was framing her somehow. A short list of people came to mind that could help. Master Plo Koon or Obi-Wan Kenobi may have helped, but they were members of the Jedi Council. She needed help from someone who was capable and knowledgeable, but would not be noticed if absent or acting peculiar. That left only one person in her mind, Barriss Offee.

Once she was immersed in the crowd of people traversing the streets of the Coruscant Underworld, Ahsoka activated her Jedi communicator. She raised her wrist close to her mouth and spoke softly but with haste. "Barriss!"

"Ahsoka!" Barriss immediately replied. "I'm so glad you're safe!" At this point, she had found out about Ahsoka being framed for Letta's murder and her escape. Barriss never wanted Ahsoka dragged into this mess with Letta and the bombing.

"Safe, but on the run." Ahsoka replied.

"Where?" Barriss asked eagerly.

"I can't tell you, but someone is definitely trying to frame me." There was a chance that it was Tarkin and his affiliates who were framing Ahsoka and Barriss feared that her compromised state with the nanodroids may hurt Ahsoka's chances of vindication. However, she was supposed to act normally. Helping Ahsoka was the right thing to do and it was better than hiding in the dark isolation of her living quarters. If Barriss could help Ahsoka, she would. Barriss owed her that much.

Barriss knew the Jedi communicators could be tracked and recorded. Until something else developed, Barriss was going to put everything aside to help Ahsoka. "It's not safe for you to contact me using the Jedi communicator. Find another way to contact me."

"I will." Ahsoka felt a huge wave of relief rush over her knowing that Barriss was still on her side.

"In the meantime, I will do some digging and see if I can find out anything to help you on my end." Barriss was almost thrilled to be helping Ahsoka. If it wasn't for her fear of the nanodroids and the idea of someone listening and watching, it would've almost felt like old times.

With Barriss helping Ahsoka, this finally seemed like a situation that could be overcome. "Thank you, Barriss."

"Be safe." Barriss' goodbye was nurturing and caring, exactly what Ahsoka needed to hear. Ahsoka dropped her communicator to the ground and crushed it.

* * *

Admiral Tarkin was monitoring everything. He listened in on Barriss' conversation with Ahsoka courtesy of the nanodroids and monitored Ahsoka's location using the Jedi communicator up until the point that it was crushed. With a pursuit update from monitoring the clone and Jedi frequencies, it was time to inform Darth Sidious and plot the next course of action. Tarkin found a secluded spot away from any curious ears or prying eyes and activated his communicator.

Chancellor Palpatine was in his office and analyzing some schematics when the call came in. Admiral Tarkin remained stoic, but his tone had a sense of urgency. "Chancellor, I have news."

"Go ahead, Admiral. What is it?" Palpatine was slightly annoyed by the interruption. Tarkin assumed a little too much power and arrogance when he joined Palpatine's inner-most circle.

"Ahsoka Tano is on the run in the lower levels of the Coruscant Underworld, but there has been a development. Asajj Ventress appears to be aiding the fugitive and has already helped Tano escape Generals Skywalker and Koon."

"Ventress…" Palpatine repeated back. He furled his brow and thought for a moment. "Excellent. Even better than I had planned. I won't need to interfere at all now." Palpatine's cackled laugh was enough to raise the hair on the back of anyone's neck, but Tarkin remained still and curiously awaited an order.

"There's another bit of news." Tarkin interrupted the chancellor's gleeful laugh. "Our new 'agent,' Barriss Offee, is helping Tano. Thanks to her influence, the fugitive has destroyed her Jedi communicator. We no longer know her exact location."

"And Offee offered to help her friend in any way that she could, did she?" It was eerie how Palpatine seemed to know things without ever being told.

"Yes, she promised to look into the evidence against Tano and to look for any sign as to who might be framing her." Tarkin seemed irritated with an itchy trigger finger talking about Barriss. He very obviously wished to simply remove her from the game entirely.

Palpatine laughed again. The entire situation was far too easy, even easier than he had originally anticipated. "I am sending you your orders, Admiral. Trust me, this all works in our favor." Chancellor Palpatine's holo-projected form vanished and Tarkin's datapad beeped with a new message. After quickly scanning the contents of the message over, a sly grin crept across Tarkin's face. He was off to pay Barriss Offee another visit.

* * *

Admiral Tarkin made his way through the Jedi Temple to the Padawan Dormitories with ease. Most officers had left for the night, but no one was ever really certain if Tarkin slept at all. So, it wasn't out of the ordinary to see him pursuing an agenda at any hour.

Upon reaching Barriss' room, he motioned to push the open button beside the door when he was stopped by a voice. "Admiral?" Jedi Master Luminara's voice broke his concentration. He quickly but smoothly retracted his hand and turned to the approaching mirialan Jedi.

"Good evening, Master Unduli." He would be polite and formal, but this was a distraction he didn't have the time or patience for.

"Good evening. If I may ask, what business do you have with my Padawan at this late hour?" Luminara asked politely.

"Goodness me, it has been a rather long and stressful day. I was under the impression that this was Ahsoka Tano's room. I was going to search it for any clues that could help the ongoing investigation." Tarkin was used to being underestimated by the Jedi. It was an effective tool in moments like this.

"Ahsoka's room is in the next hall, you're not far off." Luminara was, as always, unreadable. It wasn't clear if she bought his story or not.

"Thank you." Tarkin walked away without another word. He was going to circle around and try to enter Barriss' room again, but he glanced over his shoulder to see Luminara still at Barriss' door. Luminara looked like she was steeling herself for a difficult conversation. He approached to try and dissuade her. "Pardon my asking, but didn't you say that this was your Padawan's room? Barriss Offee, right?"

Luminara turned to face him. She was a little off-balance from trying to prepare herself for another confrontation with Barriss. "Yes, yes it is."

"I believe I saw her in the Jedi Archives on my way here. She seemed to be immersed in whatever she was reading." Tarkin did his best to wear a polite and innocent smile.

"Thank you, Admiral. May the Force be with you." Luminara bowed respectfully and gracefully left the dormitory halls. As soon as she had turned the corner, Tarkin entered Barriss' room. He placed the cloaking device on the inside of her door just as he did last time.

"Clearly, I'm not in the archives." Barriss stated sounding slightly annoyed. She was sitting on the floor in front of the mirialan totem in her room. She didn't bother facing him. In Barriss' eyes, Tarkin didn't even deserve eye contact. "What do you want?"

"It is time for your first assignment under our employ." Tarkin's grin was creeping across his face.

"Mission?" Barriss had a twinge of fear in her voice.

"Ahsoka Tano is on the run with Generals Skywalker and Koon in pursuit. We imagined it would only be a matter of time before her capture, but intelligence has just reported that Tano is receiving assistance from Asajj Ventress." Tarkin reached down the pinched the flame of one of the candles that were placed around Barriss' mirialan totem. He excelled at getting on people's nerves when he wanted to.

"What does this have to do with me?" Barriss looked up at him increasingly annoyed.

"Don't play coy with me, Jedi. I see what you see and hear what you hear. I'm well aware of you aiding Tano already." Tarkin's arrogance and elitist demeanor was thick enough to suffocate from in the small room. Barriss looked down and began to realize the worst. By helping Ahsoka, she was helping those who were trying to destroy her. "You are going to go kill Ventress, take her mask and lightsabers, and then subdue Tano leaving her wherever your nanodroids are stored."

"Never! I can't fight Ahsoka! I won't! And there's no way that I will kill Ventre… Ahhhhhh!" She half-expected it. Tarkin pressed a small trigger in his hand and Barriss was instantly lying on the ground in excruciating pain. He let go only a few seconds before she would've lost consciousness. The smell of her singed flesh began to fill the room. "You're going to have to kill me." Barriss said between whimpers. She was in an involuntary state of crying and convulsing from the shock.

"No… That would be too easy, and counter-productive on my part. I think I'd rather continue shocking you. In fact, I could set this trigger on a timer. You would be shocked repeatedly throughout each and every day. It would be just under the amount needed to kill you. How does a lifetime of extraordinary pain sound to you?" Making threats and playing the upper hand of an argument was almost Tarkin's hobby. It was unnerving how calm and collected he was as he continually shocked Barriss.

She continued to fight him for a short time, but the pain broke her. He waited until she had nothing more to say. "Ahsoka is going to need to think that you are Ventress. Wear different, nondescript clothes and a dark cloak. Once you put on Ventress' mask and use her lightsabers, Ahsoka will think that you are her."

"Why does she need to think that I am Ventress? Why can't she just see that it's me?" Barriss could hardly speak through her tears. She was officially living a fate worse than death.

"That is information you are not privileged to at this time." Tarkin loved keeping her at arm's length. Just seeing how it tortured her made it so worthwhile for him.

"What happens if I can't defeat Ahsoka? What happens if Ventress defeats me? What if… Ahhhhh! S.. Stop! Please!" Barriss was at the brink. Another shock and she would lose consciousness.

"You will kill Ventress and you will lead Tano to your nanodroids as Ventress, or we will kill you. We are not asking you to do something. These are your orders. You serve a new master now." Tarkin turned to leave the room.

"Who!?" Barriss pleaded.

"All in good time." Tarkin removed the cloaking device from the door and left. Barriss remained lying on her floor for what felt like quite a while. She knew her master would be returning to look for her. Barriss couldn't risk Luminara finding her in this state. So, she steeled herself for the most difficult thing she'd ever do in her life and left the Jedi Temple.

* * *

After a little bit of help from Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka Tano found a holo-booth on level 1312 in the Coruscant Underworld. A little bit of hotwiring and a snide comment from Ventress aside, she was ready to call Barriss. However, this time, Barriss wouldn't be helpful. She had to lead Ahsoka right into a trap.

Barriss carried a holo-communicator with her for when Ahsoka would call. She was on her way to the Coruscant Underworld when it signaled her. After making sure no one was around in earshot, Barriss answered. "It's so good to see you, Ahsoka. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, if you consider Anakin and a hundred clones on my tail a good space to be in." Ahsoka appeared wary about the situation, but she was strong enough to endure it.

"You were almost captured?" Barriss inquired. It would be immensely easier for Barriss if Ahsoka was captured by the clones.

"Once or twice, yeah." Ahsoka answered.

"Where are you?" Barriss asked.

"I can't say, Barriss." Ahsoka was playing it safe, but Barriss needed to know where Ahsoka was in order to carry out her 'orders.'

"I believe I found a clue." Barriss wasn't going to waste time. This was probably going to be her only chance to speak to Ahsoka before she had to confront her face-to-mask.

"A clue? How? From where?" Ahsoka's eyes lit up with hope.

"We don't have much time, Ahsoka. I need to know where you are so that I can guide you." Barriss hated it all. Betraying her best friend in such a way was like feeding herself a slow-killing poison.

"Fine. I'm on level 1312." Ahsoka reluctantly admitted.

"Three levels up there seems to be an abandoned warehouse where they used to build munitions that Letta visited around the time she was getting access to the nanodroids." Barriss laid the bait. As the words poured from her mouth she felt as though her own soul was withering away. She did her best to remain strong, but it could be seen in her eyes. Hopefully, Ahsoka read it as concern and not remorse.

"How did you find this out?" Ahsoka inquired.

"I told you I would do some checking." Barriss answered simply. At least that question didn't require a lie, at least not completely.

Ahsoka sighed with relief. "Thank you, Barriss."

Barriss wanted so much to give Ahsoka a sign or something to warn her, but there were people walking near Barriss. She couldn't risk anything at this point. So, reluctantly, she cut the conversation short. "Be careful, Ahsoka." Without waiting for a response, she turned off her holo-communicator.

Possibly the most difficult conversation Barriss Offee would ever partake in was over. Unfortunately, the longest night of her life was only beginning.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a torturous waiting game. Barriss Offee located Ahsoka Tano and Asajj Ventress easily enough, but she needed to wait until they split up. She had to disguise herself as Ventress before confronting Ahsoka. Those were her orders.

After trailing them for nearly an hour, Barriss activated her holo-communicator. The blue silhouette of Admiral Tarkin appeared. He was anticipating her call. "Report." He said assertively.

"I've told Ahsoka to go to the warehouse where Letta and Jackar stored the nanodroids, but Ventress is still with her. How am I supposed to disguise myself as Ventress if they are still together?" Barriss was hoping for an order to return to the temple. She could hardly recognize herself anymore as she spoke.

"The clones are unknowingly on their way to the warehouse. If Ventress remains at Tano's side, hold back and await further orders." Tarkin narrowed his gaze as he spoke. "Don't lose sight of them, or you will die." With that final threat, his transmission ceased.

Barriss nearly lost her resolve, but she glanced up again from her hiding spot to check on Ahsoka. She had to remain a significant distance away. Ahsoka would detect Barriss' presence easily given the chance. All Barriss could see were two blurry figures in the distance. They had reached the warehouse and were talking. After a few moments, Barriss saw the exact thing she hoped not to. Asajj Ventress left Ahsoka. Fighting Ahsoka would be insanely difficult, but Ventress was much easier, at least emotionally.

Barriss didn't quite understand how Ahsoka and Asajj could be working side by side, but she couldn't afford to care. She had to focus on the fact that Asajj was a war criminal, a Jedi killer, and a Sith. Barriss followed Ventress from a safe distance and kept repeating the reasons to attack in her head. Seeing her help Ahsoka though… it was enough to seed a lot of doubt.

She couldn't afford to have an extravagant duel with Asajj. She needed to use surprise and get this over with. Who knew what Asajj talking about Ahsoka may lead to? Barriss embraced her ignorance and began looking for means to take Ventress out without killing her. There were plenty of items lying around that could have been used as blunt instruments. 'Knocking her out is the best option. It just has to look convincing to Tarkin through my eyes.' She thought to herself.

Ventress walked down a deserted alley. With no one in sight, it was the perfect spot for Barriss to attack. She waited for the right moment. When Ventress was distracted, Barriss used the Force to lift a large barrel and hurl it at the former Sith. Asajj turned just in time to see it but not in time to react. The metal barrel easily weighed fifty pounds and sent her hitting the ground with excessive force. The back of her head hit the ground hard enough to knock loose her mask and disorient her.

This was the moment Barriss needed to play very carefully. Tarkin was watching and she needed this to look like a kill. She walked up to Asajj as she lied on the ground trying to regain her bearings. Barriss picked up a large metal pipe and swung hard at Ventress' head. It was easily enough to knock her out. Barriss made sure to look away at the moment of impact and not look at Ventress again. What Tarkin couldn't see was that Barriss slightly swung high causing the pipe only to graze Asajj's head rather than make a hard hit. Barriss knelt down, took Asajj's lightsabers and mask and began walking way. Asajj tried to look up and see her assailant, but fell unconscious before getting a clear look. To sell the 'kill,' Barriss looked back at Asajj from a distance. All Tarkin would see was a motionless Asajj.

* * *

It was time for the death of Barriss' soul. It was a choice between dying or framing Ahsoka for the Jedi Temple bombing. Barriss thought long and hard about considering suicide. Just the idea of confronting Ahsoka in such a manner, disguised as a rogue Sith with intent to capture, was unbearable. She stole herself away in meditation for as long of a moment as she could afford. 'What would Ahsoka do in my position?' She asked herself.

'I got into this mess because I wanted the Jedi to return to the Light Side of the Force. I thought I was in the light. If I am a true Jedi… I must value life. I must choose any option that involves the least lives lost.' Barriss' thoughts began to give her clarity. She began to listen to the will of the Force. 'I am only supposed to get Ahsoka captured. If she knew this situation, she would give herself up if it meant saving my life. I would do the same. I… I must do this.'

'Ahsoka… please forgive me.' Barriss put Asajj Ventress' mask on and ignited the twin red lightsabers. It had to be quick. Barriss would hold nothing back and make this fight as quick as possible. She knew Ahsoka's fighting style. They'd sparred on several occasions just for an excuse to spend time together in the Jedi Temple. Barriss would use her knowledge to her advantage and do her best to change up her own fighting style. Once she had a plan on how to attack Ahsoka, a single tear rolled down Barriss' face under the mask. She whispered in the shadows. "If I survive this ordeal, I will dedicate my life to you, Ahsoka. I will spend the rest of my days doing my best to right these wrongs. I swear it."

With her vow cemented, Barriss Offee entered the warehouse and launched herself with a Force Jump into the air. Ahsoka barely had enough time to ignite her own emerald lightsaber before Barriss came down hard with two crimson blades. Barriss attacked with a flurry a red slashes. She was expecting her best friend's best dueling skills since Ahsoka was facing an unknown opponent, but Barriss miscalculated. Ahsoka was off-balance, exhausted and starved from her ordeal being on the run from the law.

Seeing Ahsoka's ability to fight being only a fraction of what she was capable, Barriss tried to wear Ahsoka down as best she could while not making any cuts or injuries. She kept making quick slashes to keep Ahsoka on the defensive. Ahsoka tried talking a few times as if Barriss was Ventress. It was honestly surprising for Barriss. Ventress was a fair amount taller than her and was only a short while ago wearing a completely different outfit save for the mask and lightsabers. 'Ahsoka must be more exhausted than I thought.' Barriss thought to herself. 'I need to end this.'

Barriss took an opening to run up to a higher level of the warehouse. As soon as Ahsoka pursued, Barriss knocked some iron barrels down in hopes of subduing Ahsoka. Alas, Ahsoka remained battle-hardened and dodged the falling debris. Barriss continued to try and use the environment as much as she could to knock Ahsoka down. She couldn't handle the constant clashing of their lightsabers. It was a good thing she wore the mask. There was no way Barriss could hide how painful this was for her.

The only way Barriss could continue fighting was to use her hatred for the situation. She hated how she had to fight Ahsoka. She hated Tarkin and whoever he was working for. She hated this entire mess that started with Jackar and Letta. It was wrong, but the only way that Barriss could continue was to let the rage fuel her. Barriss looked around quickly and saw some pressurized canisters. Her rage increased her strength and mobility as she quickly sliced them open with her red lightsabers. The burst of flammable gas burned Ahsoka's eyes and stunned her for a moment. Barriss flipped behind some containers and pushed them along the ground to spark the gas. An explosion would certainly subdue Ahsoka.

Ahsoka managed to find cover just in time to keep herself safe from the blast, but her cover gave way, pushing her to the ground. After the explosion dissipated, the entire area was riddled with fire. Barriss slowly approached Ahsoka and used the Force to pick up the metal barrier that collapsed on her. Surprisingly, Ahsoka was still alert and ready to fight. Barriss may have admired her spirit, but the rage had taken root in her mind. Barriss was furious that the fight wasn't over. She picked Ahsoka up by her shoulders and hurled her against a nearby wall. Still conscious, Ahsoka tried to ready herself to keep fighting and reignited her green lightsaber.

Barriss was done with this fight. She used the Force to throw Ahsoka back into a pile of shipping crates. The impact was hard enough for Ahsoka to lose grip of her lightsaber which fell off a nearby ledge. There was no retrieving it. Regardless, Ahsoka picked herself up and readied herself to fight hand to hand. She was far too weak though and her moves were sloppy. Barriss quickly countered Ahsoka's attack and kicked her off of the ledge. Ahsoka fell through the floor down below and plummeted straight down into the room where Letta and Jackar's nanodroids were being held.

The fight was over. Barriss looked down and saw Ahsoka recognize the nanodroids. Hearing approaching footsteps, she looked up and saw clones rapidly approaching Ahsoka's position. Barriss' orders were complete. She ran from the scene and left Ahsoka to the Republic's custody.

* * *

Once she arrived safely back at the Jedi Temple, Barriss changed into her Jedi dress and cloak and entered her home. She made it all the way to her living quarters with an indifferent demeanor. As soon as the door to her room closed, she screamed in agony. The pain of hurting Ahsoka so much, the rage that boiled in her veins, the deception of posing as a seemingly benevolent Asajj Ventress… It was too much to bear. She screamed over and over again into her pillow. Barriss may have cried for a year, but her holo-communicator interrupted her misery.

After a futile attempt at stopping tears from trickling down her olive face, she sat up in her bed and turned on the communicator. Admiral Tarkin's image appeared. The rage began to immediately hit fever pitch as Barriss glared at the Republic officer. "Well done, Barriss. I must say, it was a unique experience to watch a lightsaber duel from a first-person view. You showed far more skill and finesse than we thought you were capable. Your new master is most impressed and thinks you have a very promising future."

Barriss was holding nothing back as she glared and barked at Tarkin. "My new master can die slowly for this!"

"Well, well! I can see those neuro-nanodroids are already having quite the effect on you. Not bad for a prototype design." Tarkin's cocky grin was infuriating for Barriss.

"What effect!?" Barriss barked.

"You didn't think that little power boost during your duel was all from you, did you? No, your master took the time to imbue them with a little something… darker than programming. It's a subtle nuance, but it's there." Tarkin almost sounded like he was bragging.

Barriss' vulnerability took over her next. She felt ashamed, weak, and afraid. "What's happening to me? Why are you doing this to me?" Tears began to roll more steadily down her face as she pleaded.

"Not to worry. The effects that you triggered should balance out soon enough. Until then, you need to maintain appearances. I believe tomorrow is the last day of your meditative retreat from the war. Continue as you would normally until I summon your services again." Tarkin reached forward as if to turn off the communicator, but hesitated. "Oh, and remember, I'm listening to and watching you. Tell anyone about the nanodroids or anything that you've done for me, and…"

Barriss screamed in agony as electricity arced all across her body yet again. This time, more of it was concentrated in her head. Tarkin held down the trigger longer than ever before. He electrocuted her more than enough to knock her unconscious, but just less than enough to kill her. After the nanodroids finished shocking her body, she fell limp, half on her bed and half on the floor. Tarkin smiled with malevolent glee and turned off the holo-transmission.

* * *

Barriss woke the next morning in one of the most uncomfortable positions she'd ever slept in. With aching joints and stiff muscles, she picked herself up and orientated herself with her surroundings. Her entire room was in order. Everything was in its place… aside from her bed. It was slightly uneven on the floor. It took a moment for Barriss to remember, then she reached down under the head of the bed and picked up two lightsabers; Asajj Ventress' lightsabers. She discarded everything else from that horrible night, but she kept the lightsabers. It was difficult to think about her duel with Ahsoka, but she remembered how it felt to wield them.

The twin, curved hilts made the lightsabers feel more like an extension of her body than her old lightsaber ever did. If it weren't for the red blades and the severely recognizable hilts, she would've kept them as her new primary lightsabers. For the time being though, she decided to keep them anyways. If she survived her current predicament, she would want to engineer new lightsabers for herself based on their design. She also may have needed them again if Tarkin ordered her to do another 'mission.'

The lightsabers needed to stay concealed though in a non-conspicuous place. Barriss looked around her room for a good hiding place. In the corner to the left of the door was a simple clay pot. Similar to her totem, Barriss received the pot as a gift while on Mirial, her home planet. Luminara had taken her to their dry, frigid homeworld to learn more about mirialan culture and history. That was before the war though; before her home was considered 'Separatist Space.' The pot was perfect to hide the lightsabers. It had been in her room long enough for no one to give it a second thought.

After properly and carefully concealing the lightsabers, Barriss knelt down in front of her mirialan totem. She closed her eyes and did the closest thing a Jedi could do to praying. Her thoughts dwelled on Ahsoka Tano. Thanks in large part to Barriss' actions, Ahsoka was in Republic custody and going on trial. Ahsoka was innocent and Barriss was sure of that. She didn't know who killed Letta or those clone troopers, but it absolutely wasn't Ahsoka. While Barriss was certain that Ahsoka would be vindicated, it was still a traumatic and trying time for her friend. She focused the rest of her morning on connecting with Ahsoka through the Force in hopes of possibly giving Ahsoka even the smallest hint of comfort.

Barriss' mind drifted to many things, but primarily her predicament with Admiral Tarkin and her supposed new 'master.' The situation had to unravel at some point. She couldn't possibly remain a part of the Jedi Order in such a compromised state. Barriss tried to think of a way out, but her life was on the line no matter what she may have done. So, she tried to come to terms with her situation and ride the proverbial train.

There was one glimmer of hope though. She was still alive and that meant that she had managed to fool Tarkin and whoever else may have been watching. Asajj Ventress was still alive. If she could fool Tarkin like that, perhaps there was reason to hope. Unintentionally, Barriss was doing exactly what Ahsoka was telling her about a couple days ago. She was moving past her fears and feelings of guilt. She was finally beginning to calm her storm.

* * *

Barriss' clarity, unfortunately, was short-lived. As she was kneeling in front of her mirialan totem, the bell of her door signaled that she had company. Tarkin never bothered with such courtesies. So, she expected a friend and politely welcomed the visitor. "Enter."

Much to her surprise, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker entered her room. "Barriss, I need to talk to you."

"Master Skywalker, how can I help you?" She promptly stood up and met his gaze.

He walked straight into her room and used the Force to pick up her lightsaber. "I was told that you spoke with Ahsoka before she was arrested. What did you say to her?"

He was fiddling with her lightsaber. Barriss didn't like being unarmed since he immediately brought up Ahsoka's trial. She tried to play off her involvement. "We've been friends for a long time. I was only trying to help her. I hope I'm not in any trouble."

"It's no trouble. I just need to know what you told her… and if you told anyone else." Anakin's voice ended with a slightly accusatory sound. It was enough to put Barriss on edge.

She did her best to remain calm. This was only an informal questioning at the moment. "No. I thought I had a clue for her but I really couldn't tell her anything. Who told you I spoke to her?"

"Ventress. She told me." Anakin turned to face her directly, still gripping Barriss' lightsaber tightly.

Barriss realized the one flaw that would unravel everything. Ventress was alive which meant that there was someone who knew Barriss' involvement in the previous night's events. Barriss' only hope was to use the former Sith's stained reputation to pin the blame. "Ventress… Isn't she the one Ahsoka says is really behind all of this?"

"That's what Ahsoka says, but I think she's wrong. Ventress thinks someone else is involved." Anakin looked like he had already made up his mind.

"And you believe her? Who else could it be if not her? Surely not Ahsoka." Barriss continued to try and play off her involvement, but she began to sense something from Anakin. Something… dark.

"No. I don't think it was Ahsoka either. I think both Ahsoka and Ventress are telling the truth." Barriss sensed danger coming from him. She looked at her lightsaber in his hands. His thumb was on the ignition switch. If he attacked her, the only way she could defend herself was to use Ventress' lightsabers. She discretely stepped back towards the clay pot and used the Force to ready the lightsabers for a quick draw. "But, there's only one way to find out."

Anakin ignited Barriss' lightsaber and swung it directly at her. She barely got Ventress' lightsabers into her hands in time to defend herself. With the crimson blades clashing against her own blue saber, Barriss' secret was out. Anakin sneered at her. "Funny, those belong to Ventress!" She broke the lightsaber lock, but he quickly pushed her into another one. "You should've gotten rid of them!" He barked.

If he was going to fight her, then she was going to fight back. There was not more pretending or hiding. A duel against Anakin Skywalker would be the fight for her life and she knew it. To finally drop all guards and be herself gave her a rush as she gripped her new lightsabers. She smiled at him. "I think they suit me."

They clashed a few more times and Anakin kicked Barriss in the stomach. The force of the kick threw her into the Padawan Dormitory hallway. With the new distance, she saw a chance to run. As soon as she got her bearings and eyed him up, she ran.

Anakin's stride was faster and more aggressive. He quickly caught up to her in a main hallway which was thankfully deserted. Sunlight beamed through the massive windows into the hallway as they dueled. Barriss leapt and twirled and tried attacking from every angle. The duel made her furious. Anakin didn't even try to take her in quietly. He jumped straight to violence just as so many other Jedi were doing during the war-torn times.

Barriss saw in Anakin the very thing she was combating when this entire ordeal began: The Dark Side within the Jedi Order. After a series of furious clashes between them both, Anakin backed away and practically growled at her. "Ahsoka trusted you and you betrayed her!"

Barriss' wit was sharp and ready to stand with full integrity behind her beliefs regardless of what Anakin thought of her. "I've learned that trust is overrated. The only thing the Jedi Council believes in is violence!"

Anakin ignited his own lightsaber to add to his dueling ferocity. She did what she could to adjust to the new tactic. As they dueled, Jedi Temple Guardians rushed into the hallway on each side and ignited their thick yellow blades and ordered. "Cease hostilities!"

With the guardians and Anakin then opposing her, Barriss saw only one way out. She pivoted around and leapt up towards one of the hallway's massive windows. With a well-timed slash of her lightsabers, she broke through the window and landed on a lower roof of the Jedi Temple. Anakin leapt through in pursuit and they continued dueling on the roof of the Jedi Temple.

This entire duel was pointless. Had Anakin asked her to come in for questioning, she couldn't have said 'no' and would've gone with him. His continued aggression towards her was constantly fueling her rage for the situation. Such a respected Jedi was so corrupt. Her rage gave her focus and strength. She saw an opening and roundhouse kicked Anakin off of the roof. He fell and lost grip of her lightsaber on his way down.

Anakin landed in a small Jedi Temple garden where Tera Sinube was instructing a group of Jedi Younglings. The ancient Jedi ignited his white lightsaber in defense of his class just as Barriss came plummeting down on Anakin's lightsaber blade. They continued to duel despite the audience. Jedi Temple Guardians quickly entered the garden with their lightsabers at the ready.

The animosity of Anakin's attacks only increased. He used his free left hand and grabbed Barriss' right wrist. He immediately squeezed hard enough to cause her to lose her lightsaber grip. Anakin was relentless as he channeled pure rage into his dueling. Barriss was no longer on any sort of offensive. She genuinely was beginning to fear for her life.

After relentlessly slamming his lightsaber down on hers repeatedly, Barriss looked around and saw the ancient Jedi with his lightsaber ready and several Jedi Temple Guardians all with their lightsabers ignited. She was cornered and outmatched. Barriss needed to flee and the only way out was behind Anakin. She clashed a few more times and gave herself enough distance between them. Barriss leapt into the air to try and twirl around Anakin, but he stopped her with an aggressive use of the Force.

All of Barriss' momentum was immediately stopped with Anakin's Force chokehold on her. He tightened his hold and then slammed her several meters away into a tree where he continued to hold her using the Force. The fight was over. As Anakin approached, her only hope was that he would finish it. She was dead anyways as soon as Tarkin saw the opportunity to give her a lethal dose of electricity.

Despite the rage in his eyes, Anakin did not kill Barriss. He held her against the tree as Jedi Temple Guardians moved in to disarm and restrain her. One of the guardians spoke cold and assertively to her. "By the authority of the Jedi High Council, you are under arrest."

Anakin stepped in and put his hand on the guardians shoulder. "There's time for that later. We need to take her to the Supreme Courtroom as soon as possible." Barriss looked up at him in confusion. "We need a confession. It's time you pay for what you've done, but not before freeing Ahsoka of these charges you framed her for!"

Barriss lowered her head having difficulty understanding how she could ever find herself in such a situation. It was unclear who may have been watching via her nanodroids. So, she didn't even try to explain. She was silent as the Jedi Temple Guardians, lead by Anakin Skywalker, took her away to confess.


	9. Chapter 9

The short flight to the Republic Supreme Courts was agonizingly silent. Four Jedi Temple Guardians surrounded a bound and shamed Barriss Offee while Anakin Skywalker flied the Jedi shuttle. Barriss was waiting to drop dead from electrocution, but her nanodroids remained dormant. It was like an unending nightmare that she could never wake up from.

Frustration and rage was fuming from Anakin like a strong odor. Barriss couldn't help but notice it in the shuttle. She never realized just how out of control Anakin was. The thought led her mind to Ahsoka. 'It's no wonder Ahsoka was so thirsty for revenge when Letta was transferred.' Barriss thought to herself. 'It's amazing she is as level-headed as she is, being his apprentice.'

When the flight was finally over, Anakin briskly escorted Barriss and her captors to the courtroom. Ahsoka's trial was coming to an end. Most of the politicians seemed to either know Anakin or understand his situation because no one stopped him. He escorted her through every checkpoint quickly. The Jedi Temple Guardians had one side of their double lightsabers ignited and crossed in front and behind Barriss as they walked. She didn't know what to expect or anticipate. At that point, she was just along for the journey.

A large door opened after a bit of a wait and Anakin rushed in to a large room with his hand raised. "Chancellor!"

Barriss and the guardians walked into the massive courtroom too and followed behind Anakin as he made his way to the central platform. Anakin had apparently interrupted the Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine looked down on him with a practiced indifference. "I hope you have a reason for bursting into our proceedings, Master Skywalker."

Anakin sounded proud as he announced his victory. Anger and vanity resonated from him. "I am here with evidence and a confession from the person responsible for all of the crimes Ahsoka has been accused of. Barriss Offee! Member of the Jedi Order and traitor."

Admiral Tarkin narrowed his gaze on Barriss, then looked up at the Chancellor. Palpatine gave a severely subtle turn of his head letting Tarkin know not to act just yet. Tarkin discretely reached into his pocket to grasp the trigger. He was ready to silence Barriss once and for all. Palpatine furled his brow a little to tell Tarkin to back off. There was no way they could explain away Barriss' death in front of so many witnesses.

Ahsoka Tano, moments away from being convicted of murder and terrorism, looked to the central platform feeling both pain and shock. "Barriss, is that true?"

Anakin turned his attention to Barriss. He growled at her. "Tell them the truth."

His anger reminded her yet again of just how different she was from the rest of the Jedi. This 'poster boy' for the Jedi was anything but a true Jedi. She glared at him for a moment in defiance, and then looked up at the Chancellor. She wouldn't likely see the end of the day, especially with Tarkin witnessing this first hand. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. This was her chance to explain her views and motives to the most influential people in the Republic and the Jedi Order. This wasn't just her confession, it was her manifesto.

The courtroom cameras focused on Barriss Offee and projected her image to large screens on the walls high above for everyone to see as she began to speak her testimony. "I did it, because I've come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize. That the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war! That we've so lost our way that we've become villains in this conflict! That we are the ones that should be put on trial. All of us! And my attack on the temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become; an army fighting for the Dark Side. Fallen from the light we once held so dear. This Republic is failing! It's only a matter of time."

Anakin took hold of her cuffs and pulled her back. She had said quite enough. Everyone in the room looked shocked, but also concerned. Perhaps not in everyone, but in some, Barriss delivered a persuasive and powerful argument. It was enlightening and disturbing for many to hear. Admiral Tarkin and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine were of those who weren't even fazed by the confession. Palpatine waved his hand and dismissed the case. "Take her away." On the outside, he didn't seem to care, but on the inside he was furious. He was so close to being rid of Ahsoka. Out of all people, it was Anakin who stopped Palpatine in his tracks.

As soon as she was done speaking, Barriss' full attention was on Ahsoka. Barriss couldn't speak anymore, so she showed with her face the most sincere expression of sorrow and remorse. Ahsoka only glanced up briefly. It was unclear whether Ahsoka was considering what Barriss had said or realizing the betrayal that was just revealed. Barriss was escorted away without knowing. She didn't get a chance to say she was sorry or even say goodbye. With tears lightly trickling down her olive cheeks, she walked towards what was certain to be her death.

* * *

Several Weeks Later…

"Wake up, Traitor!" A clone's voice echoed into her cell. Barriss Offee pulled her messy, knotted hair out of her face and fidgeted a little in her orange prison fatigues. She said nothing. Barriss looked up at the clone who stood outside her cell. "It looks like you are going on a trip. Approach the front and place your hands through the slot on the left."

Barriss stood up slowly. She put her hands through and was instantly cuffed with energy binders. Such cuffs were designed to keep Jedi prisoners, but she was no longer a Jedi. The red energy wall deactivated and clones quickly entered the cell to grab her by each arm. They escorted her out of the Republic Detention Facility and towards a ship. Barriss didn't put up a fight. She didn't inquire as to where the ship was going or what was happening to her. Her mind was still back in that courtroom.

The ship took off once the clones were seated and she was adequately chained to her seat. Perhaps they were finally getting around to putting her on trial. They dismissed her from the courtroom without a single question. She only confessed to the bombing of the Jedi Temple, not the murder of Letta Turmond and the clone troopers. Barriss really didn't care all that much what happened to her at that point though. Ahsoka was free and her message was heard by at least a few.

The only thing she wanted was forgiveness, but after all that she had done, Barriss wouldn't even bother asking if she got the chance. The ship landed at a building near the Coruscant power plant sector. The clones got out of the shuttle and took Barriss with them. There was an ominous, dark feeling to the entire area. It looked like a place that was out of the way and rarely visited. Barriss prepared herself to be executed. She retreated into her own mind and did her best to become one with the Force.

As she had her eyes closed, the clones guided her forcibly to a dark circular room with a prisoner containment unit in the center. The clones attached binders to her ankles and shoved her into the blue column of energy. After a moment, her body was steadily floating by her binders in the center of the otherwise dark room. The clones exited without her and she was alone. For a long, agonizing silence, Barriss prepared for her execution, but again, it never came.

Barriss' curiosity finally beckoned her enough to open her eyes. She looked around and saw that she was alone. 'Solitary confinement.' She thought to herself. 'They must think this is a worse punishment. Apparently, they forgot that I was a Jedi. All I do in my cell is meditating.'

She was about to close her eyes again, but the sound of soft footsteps caught her attention. Barriss looked around the room, but saw no one. A malevolent and sinister voice spoke from the darkness. "I am sure you're wondering why I haven't killed you yet."

The voice was unsettling and Barriss didn't recognize it. "Who's there?" She called out. Her voice was hoarse and dry. Those were the first words she'd spoken in weeks.

"Your master, of course. You may not have killed Ventress, but you otherwise performed very well. Did you really think I would throw away such talent?" He stepped into the light right in front of her. Darth Sidious had a slight grin on his face as he watched the surprise spread across Barriss' expression.

"You… I… You're not going to kill me?" Barriss was only beginning to grasp who exactly she was talking to.

"No." Sidious cackled. "I have great plans for you." His fingers lit up with Force Lightning. Barriss Offee's torment was only beginning.


End file.
